What Are Friends For?
by Cilla1970
Summary: Lucas and Peyton have been friends since birth. Now 30 an agreement they made at 18 is going to be fulfilled. Changed to M because of Chapter 5 and beyond ;-
1. Getting Ready

**A/N: So it didn't take me as long as I thought it would to come up with a new idea. I've seen a lot of LP as best friends find love, but nothing quite like this one. Hope you enjoy. Most major events in the show apply. The big difference is how long Lucas and Peyton have known each other and I'll get into that later. This story is T rated for now, but I'm thinking it will get to M at some point, so if you're not old enough, don't read when it changes. LOL. Oh and review!!! Please!!!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own OTH or any of its characters. I really, REALLY wish I did. So instead I play with them and make up my own stories that are not meant to infringe and even more sadly no money is earned.**

Chapter 1

Getting Ready

Peyton Sawyer wasn't really a girly girl. Sure she like to do her hair and have her make up just right, and the occasional mani-pedi always did a girl good. But she didn't like to get dressed up and wear the high heel strappy sandals. She especially wasn't big on dresses. A great pair of jeans with an even better pair of boots with a modest heel would suit her fine. However, for this occasion, she felt it warranted a little effort. The mood was going to have to be just right, and everything had to be perfect.

She'd chosen to take a bath rather than shower to let the essence of her bubble bath soak into her skin as she ran the loufah sponge up and down her long legs. She'd gone for a full wax of all the important parts earlier in the day, so shaving wasn't necessary. As her fingers glided over the smoothness of her legs, she imagined for a moment what it was going to be like when he was doing that. Realizing that those kinds of thoughts were not permitted for what was going to take place, she quickly shook herself free of them.

When she was done with the bath, she took a quick shower just to wash her hair and put her make up on while her hair was still up in a towel. She then took more than an hour to get the blonde curls in her hair to fall just right, just how he liked them so his hands could get lost in them. Damn it!! She was doing it again. It didn't matter what he liked, or what she liked. This was not about feelings or sensations or remembrances of times past. This night was a means to an end. It had to work, because Peyton wasn't sure she'd be able to do this again. How had she even got to the point where she needed to collect on an agreement made when she was barely an adult? Somewhere way back in the recesses of her mind and her subconscious, she knew the answer to that question, but that would once again be treading in dangerous territory. It had been a very long time and she wasn't sure she could go back there again, and she was pretty sure he would feel the same way.

The one thing that made her think for a second that he might feel something else was the fact that this was his idea, well along with her best friend Brooke's eager encouragement. They had all but dismissed the pack they'd made, but when it was on the table again, he'd named the time and place and made all the arrangements. Maybe he genuinely wanted to help her or really did have feelings for her. Maybe he just wanted to get laid. After all, he was a guy, although she couldn't imagine that finding sexual partners was a problem for him. Just look at him, although she couldn't figure out when he would have time considering how much time _they _spent together.

Her thoughts were all over the place and driving her to distraction, and she realized she'd been sat on her bed in a daydream-like state for almost half an hour. Now she was quite possibly going to be late. She reached for her dresser opening the top right hand drawer and pulled out the lace corset with suspenders attached. It had no fewer than twenty hooks at the back so she had to do it up at the front and turn it around. The underwires were stiff and created the look of an incredibly full bosom with the lift they provided. As she slid the first stocking up her smooth leg, she wondered if this perhaps wasn't a bit of overkill. After all, this was a sure thing, but then no one said it had to be all business, and given their history and the last few months especially, she really didn't want it to be. They could have some fun too, and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face. The last piece was the pair of low riding hipster panties. She'd considered a thong, but decided that the space created between the corset and the panties exposing her belly button, was infinitely sexier than showing a bit of ass cheek.

Brooke had provided her with the dress for the evening. Brooke had her own clothing company and had designed a one-of-a-kind original for this specific occasion. She was the only other person who knew about this aside from the two participants. She'd thought it was rather daring and a little dangerous considering what was at stake, but secretly she was hoping that all her best friends dreams were going to come true on this one night. Some dreams Peyton hadn't even expressed to her, but she knew what they were, and she knew that there was definitely hope. The dress she designed for Peyton appeared to be your simple little black dress, but Brooke had put a lot of thought into promoting Peyton's assets with its design.

The dress was knee length with a pencil skirt to accentuate the length of Peyton's legs and she'd instructed Peyton to wear 3-4 inch red heels for added effect. The square neckline with sleeveless wrap around tank straps would leave a lot to the imagination with no cleavage visible, but the corset would heighten the curiosity that the cut of the neckline would surely invoke. The back was gathered and drooped to just above where the corset ended, exposing enough her back to be sexy, but not giving away the surprise underneath. The bodice was fitted to Peyton's exact measurements and accentuated her flat stomach and curvy hips. The zipper was down the left side seam and virtually invisible.

Peyton finished her look with small dangling rhinestones in her ears, and a simple gold chain with one lone rhinestone that sat in the middle of her chest just below her collarbone. Now all she had to do was wait for him to pick her up.

Across town, Lucas Scott was having trouble getting his look just right. He was just now finishing his third shower after each unsuccessful attempt to get his hair to do just what he wanted it to. He'd never been one to make too much of a fuss over his hair, but each time he's gelled it something had gone horribly wrong and he'd felt the need to start over.

This time he squeezed the gel in his hands, rubbed them together quickly and just dragged his hands backward through his short dirty blonde hair. The spiky mish mash effect that was created was satisfactory on this attempt so he moved on to the task of what to wear. His hands were sweaty and clammy and he didn't want to be thumbing through clean shirts and suits like that so he stood back and stared at the clothes hanging in his closet.

He stood with his left arm crossed over his body, holding his right elbow. His right hand covered his mouth as he contemplated a) what he should wear b) why it mattered so much and c) why he had suggested that he and Peyton go through with this. It seemed to him a bit of a miracle that at thirty years old, they were both single and available to do this. When they'd made the deal neither could have imagined that they would both be without partners in life. If anyone besides Brooke had known about this, it wouldn't have surprised them that this was going to happen, just as it didn't surprise Brooke. The only people really oblivious to how this would and should end were Lucas and Peyton.

Lucas continued to ponder everything about what he was about to do under the guise that he was thinking about what to wear. In truth, he stared into his closet thinking about how the evening was going to go. How were they going to get to where they needed to be by the end of the evening? How would they part when it was over? How would they know or WHEN would they know if the evening had been a success? Would their relationship change? He had answers to most, if not all of these questions, he just wasn't sure that Peyton would like his answers. He had to remind himself that this was an unemotional arrangement. A means to an end for Peyton. Anything for Peyton. But who was he kidding? Of course there were emotions involved. There had always been emotions involved for them.

Lucas finally settled on a crisp white pinstriped shirt with cufflink cuffs, a royal blue tie that brought out his eye colour, all combined with a tailored black Armani suit. He looked like a million bucks he thought. He splashed some rather expensive cologne on quickly and grabbed his keys off his dresser and set off to pick her up.

Peyton heard the car pull up outside. There was no mistaking the sound of Lucas' classic Mustang that had once been his Uncle Keith's. She'd actually heard him turn into the beachside complex where she and Brooke lived long before he reached the front of the house. Instead of going out to meet him, she decided to wait for him to come to the door. This wasn't exactly a date, but she kind of wanted to feel like she was being wooed. It made what she was about to do seem more…justifiable.

Lucas stopped the car out front and went up to the front door. He'd been to this house countless times before and usually just walked right in as they all did with each other's houses, but something told him that he shouldn't do that this time. He was calling on a lady, he thought and chuckled to himself at how Peyton would react to that very proper behaviour.

He rang the door bell and waited what seemed like minutes, but was actually only about thirty seconds before Peyton opened the door. They stood eyeing each other up and down for a few seconds with dropped jaws, soaking in just how amazing the other one looked.

"Wow, you look…" they both started at the same time, and laughed a little uncomfortably.

"I'll just grab my purse and we can go" Peyton finally said through the discomfort.

As she was about to walk passed Lucas to go out the door, he grabbed her elbow gently and pulled her in to give her a kiss on the cheek and slide his hand down the small of her back.

"Peyton, you really do look absolutely gorgeous." He said sincerely and her eyes twinkled a little brighter as she smiled up at him.

"Well, I wanted to make this as easy for you as possible." She replied flirtatiously.

Lucas looked down at her and smirked. "Easy is not what I'd say you're making it." He said in a deep seductive voice, and then stood back to give Peyton a gentle push out the door.

"Come on Blondie, let's go make a baby…" he said airily as they left the apartment. Peyton giggled and blushed at it being put so bluntly, but seeing him looking like that and smelling like that, she couldn't think of anything she wanted more at this moment than to make love to Lucas Scott.


	2. I'm a Sure Thing

**A/N: Thanks for the amazing response!!! Just to clarify…when I said most major events apply, I meant things like Peyton losing her mom (although she is NOT adopted in this), Keith dying, Naley wedding etc. Some other show events may be recognizable, but messed with a bit.**

**Also, there will be flashbacks throughout to explain Lucas and Peyton's relationship and these will appear in **_**italics.**_

**Still own nothing.**

Chapter 2

I'm a Sure Thing

Lucas escorted Peyton out to his car with his hand resting gently on the small of her back. The cut of her dress allowed his thumb to touch bare skin. Peyton put the goosebumps she felt from his touch down to nervousness and Lucas put the tingle he felt in his hand down to the typical male reaction of touching female bare skin in anticipation of getting laid.

As a gentleman would, Lucas opened the passenger door and made sure Peyton was settled before closing the door after her. Once in the driver's seat himself, he started the car and sat for a moment looking at Peyton.

"What?" she asked hesitantly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing…just you, you look amazing. I know I said it before, but you do." He said with smile and a sound of awe in his voice. He paused for a moment and reached for her hand in her lap and started to speak again. "Peyton, I just want to…"

"Luke, don't…" she cut him off. "Let's just do this and see what happens, ok? We've got so much history, back before we were born even. The last thing I want is to jeopardize that, so let's just go one step at a time." She squeezed his hand and smiled a genuine smile letting him know she was all right with everything and that he should relax.

"Ok" he replied. "You're pretty smart, Blondie."

"Well, I am older than you." She teased as Lucas let go of her hand, put the car in drive and pulled away.

Peyton relaxed in the passenger seat and thought about just how long the man next to her had been a part of her life.

_Flashback_

_Peyton and Lucas had been friends their entire lives starting virtually in utero. Peyton's mother, Anna Campbell and Lucas' mother , Karen Roe were best friends, and when both discovered they were pregnant at the end of high school, it wasn't seen by either as a devastatingly bad thing. Anna had been dating Larry Sawyer for a long time and there really was no question that they would get married eventually. Larry was going to be working on dredging boats as his father had done before him so neither college nor his ability to support a family were a concern. Karen and her boyfriend Dan Scott had talked about a future and a life together as well. Dan was going to college on a basketball scholarship and Karen would be going to the same school. The addition of a baby seemed like a catalyst to the future for both Karen and Anna._

_As it turned out, only one of the boys was really committed to his girlfriend. Larry proposed to Anna on prom night, and right after she accepted his proposal she told him she was pregnant. They were both ecstatic and eager to start their life together and they were married by the end of the summer._

_Karen told Dan that she was pregnant on graduation day, and he told her she should consider an abortion and that nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling his basketball dream. Karen ignored Dan's suggestion sent him off to college and prepared to raise a child by herself._

_There was three weeks between Karen and Anna's due dates and they spent all their time together during their pregnancies comparing notes on how they felt and when the babies kicked._

_Larry and Anna were married before the end of the summer and moved into Larry's parents' house together until they could save up for a house. They had an incredible support system that helped them get a good start._

_Karen struggled through her pregnancy with little support. Her parents did not help and the only real support she had was from the unlikely source of Dan's older brother, Keith. Although, there was nothing romantic there initially, he was her pillar of strength. He rubbed her feet when they were swollen and brought her tea when she felt nauseous. He helped Karen come up with a business plan to open a small café in town once the baby was born, and he worked on his own business plan for an auto shop. Karen was determined to be successful on her own as a mother and businesswoman and Keith was determined to be there for her as she tried. They grew closer and closer through her pregnancy, and a tentative romance began. When Karen was in her eighth month, Keith told her that he loved her and wanted to always be there for her and the baby, and he would like nothing more than to be a father to her baby and a husband to her, if she'd have him. She accepted tearfully and they set to planning a quick wedding as they wanted to be married before the baby was born._

_Karen, Anna, Keith and Larry were the only ones at the wedding in March, and they had barely finished the vows and kissed when Karen's water broke unexpectedly. The panic and chaos that ensued was enough to put Anna in labor as well._

_Lucas Eugene Scott and Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer were born within an hour of each other. Keith was named as the father on Lucas' birth certificate. That Peyton was actually fifty six minutes older than Lucas would be a cause for discussion and subject of great levity throughout their lives._

_The two babies were constantly compared by their mothers and fathers in what seemed like a never ending competition of firsts, but it was all done in good spirits. Lucas ate solid food first, but Peyton sat up first. Peyton crawled first, but Lucas walked first. Every birthday was celebrated together along with Keith and Karen's anniversary._

_When they were three, they played mommies and daddies using one of Peyton's dolls as a baby. Peyton would wear one of Karen's aprons from the café and Lucas would wear one of Keith's ties and pretend to come home from work. He would kiss the doll's head and say "Daddy's home." Karen and Anna would watch them trying hard to control their laughter as they wondered where the two young children had gotten such an archaic view of family life. They would joke that one day they would be sitting together watching their grandchildren do the same thing. The inference that Lucas and Peyton would be parents together one day, was understood._

_On their first day of kindergarten, they walked into school together with matching backpacks and for the first time they were really exposed to other children. Lucas became quick friends with two little boys named Marvin and Antwon and Peyton became friends with two little girls named Brooke and Haley. _

_The six children became close friends in two little groups of three girls and three boys over the first three years of school and life seemed to be comfortable and perfect. Lucas and Peyton still played together when their parents got together, but otherwise they had their own friends. They were at the age where the opposite sex had cooties. It wasn't until they were eight years old that a series of traumatic events would rock the little group of youngsters._

Peyton was jolted out of her reminiscing by the car coming to a stop.

"Did I fall asleep?" she asked.

"Yeah, only for a little, but we're here now" replied Lucas softly.

"Where's here? I thought we were going for a fancy dinner, hence the lbd and the Armani." She said playfully pointing back and forth between them.

"We're on Emerald Isle. There's a very exclusive seafood restaurant that we're going to, but I thought we'd drop our bags off at this beach house I've rented, first." he stated getting out of the car.

"Bags? I didn't pack a bag." a rather puzzled Peyton said to no one since Lucas was already out of the car.

Sensing her discomfort and puzzlement, Lucas came back to the passenger side and indicated for her to roll down her window.

"Brooke packed the bag for you. Stay here. I'm just going to drop these and make sure the key works and then we'll go for dinner." Peyton rolled her eyes at how she seemed to have lost all control of something that was originally her idea so many years ago.

Lucas returned quickly and got back in the car.

"How long are we staying?" Peyton asked.

"Just 'til Sunday" replied Lucas. "I figured it would be nice to get away, you know, no distractions." He added sheepishly.

Peyton laughed and nodded. "Ok, that's nice. It will be good. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't doing all this as some big romantic gesture to get me in the mood." She laughed again. "'Cos ya know Scott, I'm pretty much a sure thing." They both laughed as they headed to the restaurant.


	3. Dining on Disasters

Chapter 3

Dining on Disasters

As they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Peyton could now see why they had to be so dressed up. The building itself was a replica of a Southern plantation house with steps leading up to a front door in the center of it. A covered veranda ran the length of the front and was decorated with cream coloured lights. The door itself was at least nine feet high, double paneled and looked like it would weigh a ton to move. A warm candlelight glow emanated from all the windows.

Had Lucas not treated his classic Mustang like it was his sole possession in the world, it might have looked out of place among the Mercedes, BMW's, limousines and many overpriced Italian sports cars. However, the fresh wax job that made the body shine, combined with the chrome rims made it look like a well looked after rich man's toy.

Lucas pulled up to the valet parking and quickly got out so he could be the one to help Peyton out of the car instead of the valet. He slipped a couple of bills in the attendants hand and once again put his hand on Peyton's back just grazing the bare skin where her dress drooped. This time the pressure he put on her back as she climbed the few steps up to the veranda was enough for him to feel the hooks of the corset underneath and he turned and raised his eyebrow at her as he reached to open the door to the restaurant.

"What?" Peyton asked innocently, knowing he'd discovered her little secret.

"You're trying to torture me, aren't you?"

Peyton smiled without responding giving him all the answer he needed and continued walking into the restaurant. Lucas thought to himself that this was going to be a really long night, and that perhaps it wasn't the best idea to turn this event into a full blown date. The outline of their relationship and the boundaries they had held for so long had begun to blur rapidly over the last couple of hours. It was only expected as they were about to enter into the ultimate line blurring relationship in becoming parents together.

Once seated at their table, the lusty tension that had been building seemed to be lifted for the moment. They ordered their meals and Lucas ordered a bottle of Peyton's favourite Chardonnay without even asking her. She smiled in appreciation of the gesture and they settled into comfortable conversation about their current lives.

They talked every day, but this conversation seemed more intimate. Lucas discussed his plot ideas for his next book, and talked at length about two of the seniors on the Tree Hill Ravens who he thought had a real shot at the NBA. He'd asked his big shot NBA star brother, Nathan to mentor them in the off season which Nathan had gladly agreed to. Peyton talked about her label and her latest discovery, and also informed Lucas that Mia, her first signing was pregnant with her first child. Lucas made some lewd comment about Chase, Mia's boyfriend of six years who happened to be Brooke's ex, having it 'in him' to father a child. Peyton gave him an admonishing look and told Lucas he better hope _he _had it in him as well.

That one comment returning to the innuendo that had hung over them earlier in the evening sent them back into a contemplative silence. It was Peyton who broke the silence first.

"Do you think we'll be good parents?" she asked suddenly.

"I know we will" he answered sincerely. "We had the best role models, even if some of them were taken too soon."

_Flashback_

_Fourth grade was a pivotal year for all the youngsters. As they turned ten and entered into the pre-teen years, the opposite sex wasn't so disgusting all of a sudden, and the two groups of three slowly merged into a gang of six. The boys would play basketball and the girls would cheer them on. Marvin discovered that he was much better at giving a running commentary of the game than playing it and soon gained the nickname 'Mouth'. _

_A new boy also joined the group causing them to all be nicknamed The Magnificent Seven. He was amazing at basketball and seemed to fit in well with all of them. His name was Nathan and when it was discovered that he had the same last name as Lucas, the boys started asking questions. They learned that they were cousins as their fathers were brothers, but had not got along for a very long time. Nathan's father had now decided to move his family back to Tree Hill and settle. The boys didn't seem to care that their fathers didn't get along, they were becoming fast friends and that's all that mattered. _

_Karen always managed to make excuses for Lucas not going to Nathan's house, but Nathan was welcome at her and Keith's house, and the children often all went to the café for ice cream together. Karen was aware of who Nathan was and was also aware of his age and that Dan had clearly moved on very quickly once he got to college. Obviously, it wasn't that he didn't want children, he just hadn't wanted children with her._

_A few months into the new school year of fourth grade, Peyton was dealt a crushing blow when her mother was killed in a car accident after running a red light. She was late to pick Peyton up from school._

_The week that followed that awful day went by in a blur for all those close to the Sawyers. Keith and Karen did everything they could to support Larry and help him and Peyton cope. Dan's wife and Nathan's mom, Deb, came in to the café to offer her condolences to Karen as she knew her and Anna were close. It was briefly awkward until Deb told Karen that the history Karen had with Dan didn't have to be theirs and that she would very much like to be her friend._

_None of the children knew what to say or do to help Peyton. Brooke went to see her every day, but always left feeling like she hadn't helped at all. It wasn't until Lucas went to see her one day that she finally confessed that she thought it was her fault her mother was dead. If her mother hadn't been coming to pick her up, then she wouldn't have run the red light. Peyton asked Lucas to hold on to her while she cried, and he sat on her bed and did just that telling her it wasn't her fault. He let her cry on him until his shirt was soaked through and she had no tears left, and she thanked him for being there for her and making her feel better._

_That was the day Lucas realized that girls didn't have cooties and that it felt kind of good to have a girl cuddle up to you and depend on you. He also realized he would always be there for Peyton and do anything she asked him to if it made her feel better._

_Over the next three years as the children entered their teens , the dynamics of the adults and the children changed dramatically._

_Lucas was extremely protective of Peyton all the time causing tension with both Brooke, who felt like she was being ignored by Peyton in favour of Lucas, and with Nathan who was developing a bit of a crush on Peyton, but felt he couldn't get near her because of Lucas. He settled for just being her friend, but it was always clear he wanted more._

_Haley was upset because she had a crush on Nathan who only seemed to have eyes for Peyton, so she turned to Lucas for advice knowing how he felt about Peyton as well._

_Lucas was struggling with his own inner battle as he was developing feelings for Peyton much more than the brotherly ones he's always had, but he had also noticed that Brooke wasn't a little girl anymore either. The problem was, Brooke only saw him as the person who took her best friend from her._

_Through all of these little dramas, Mouth and Skills sat back and laughed and called it As Tree Hill Turns._

_The adults had their own share of drama. Deb had started coming around the café and Karen's house more and more and she and Karen had become very good friends. In listening to Deb talk about her life with Dan, Karen came to realize she got the much better end of the deal, and the better brother. The fact that Dan was Lucas' biological father never came up, because it wasn't considered an issue. Keith had been his father in every way that counted. _

_It only became an issue to Dan as Nathan and Deb both started spending more and more time with the other Scotts and Larry Sawyer._

_It all came to a devastating head when Keith planned a guys camping weekend for him, Lucas & Nathan. Nathan had been spending more and more time with Keith and Lucas rather than with Dan. They did all the things fathers and sons do. All the things Dan never did. _

_Deb was at Karen's café helping her pack up a cooler of food for the trip and Nathan and Lucas were bringing all the camping gear out to the front of the house ready to load up. Keith was working under the hood of the truck in front of the garage doing a last minute check on fluids before they left when Dan pulled up._

_He got out of his car and went straight to Keith and began having a quiet but animated discussion with his brother. Lucas and Nathan watched somewhat puzzled but couldn't hear what was being said. Keith responded just as ardently, but the boys still could not hear what was being said until Dan began yelling. What they heard after that and the subsequent events would change them forever._

"_It's not bad enough that you took one of my sons, now you have to take the other one too?" screamed Dan._

"_Danny, if you'd been man enough in the first place, I wouldn't have had to be Luke's father. You ran and left Karen all alone and pregnant. Someone had to look after her!" Keith retaliated and then realized both Lucas and Nathan were watching and listening. That realization took his focus off Dan and the right hook that was coming his way. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as he was knocked from his feet and backwards into the garage. His head struck sharp corner of a wheel jack, and it was all over as quickly as it started. Instead of a camping trip, there was a funeral._

_After that day Lucas and Peyton became inseparable, although not romantically involved, leaning on each other in their mutual grief of lost parents. Haley and Nathan became closer and Brooke threw herself into her cheerleading and being the social queen of their middle school. _

_Lucas' parentage was explained, but never dwelt on. As far as he was concerned Keith was his father. Nathan wished Dan wasn't his, but the boys developed a deeper camaraderie in the knowledge they were brothers._

_Dan and Deb divorced and Dan was sent to jail for involuntary manslaughter. Deb, Karen and Larry became very close employing a system of team parenting. When Larry was away at sea, Peyton would stay with Karen. When Karen was busy at the café, Deb would have all the kids at her house. And when Larry was home, they would all gravitate to the Sawyers' house. Whichever parent was in charge at the time, they were fully invested in the task at hand, providing comfort, knowledge, and discipline when needed. Each of the three kids felt like they had three parents and felt loved by all of them._

"You miss her, don't you?" Lucas asked almost rhetorically once again breaking the silence at the table that had fallen as they finished their meal.

"Every day." Peyton replied sadly. "I know you miss him"

"I do, but I'm not going to let what happened to him or your mom make me think we'll be any less of a parent because we didn't have both parents ourselves. We had something much better in the end. And I believe that nurture outweighs nature every time. What Keith gave me in his time and his love, is more than any of Dan's DNA ever could."

"Do you think we're being fair to our child by doing this without being together. I mean we're basically sentencing the child to a life of every other weekend and twice during the week, before it's even conceived, let alone born. Am I being selfish in wanting this so badly without waiting for it all to be perfect?" Peyton asked.

"Peyton, we had five people who cared about us and gave us their knowledge and wisdom and all the right tools to become the most awesome parents. I know we were older, but we were raised by single parents and shipped around a lot after…well, you know. Besides, who's to say, we won't be together?" His eyes twinkled as he smiled at her and reached across the table.

Peyton let a smile reach her eyes as she took Lucas' hand.

"I'm not ruling it out either." She said quietly, and Lucas squeezed her hand a little tighter. "But for now, I think we should go back to that beach house, 'cos you look good enough to eat, and you do remember what I have on underneath this dress, right?" she added wanting to lift the somber cloud that had drifted over their conversation.

Lucas' eyes widened in shock, and just the tone of her voice had his pants feeling a little tighter. He was up out of his chair and over to help her up from hers in a flash. Still holding the hand he had pulled her up with, he led her quickly out of the restaurant.

"In a hurry?" Peyton asked giggling as they got back in the car.

"You have NO idea!" he replied as he reached for her hand over the gear shift.

The evening was definitely turning into something neither had expected.


	4. It's All Coming Back To Me

**A/N: The response I'm getting is inspiring, so thank you!!! I know you're probably feeling about as tortured as poor Lucas at this point, and I promise that this chapter is the beginning of the end of the torture. I am going to try to keep things PG-13 to maintain the T rating, but where my head is going at the moment, that may not be possible. I will push as many boundaries as I can without changing to M, but I still may have to change.**

**I still own nothing and thanks for reading!!! Please review.**

Chapter 4

It's All Coming Back To Me

The drive back to the beach house, was filled with tension. It was not a disturbing kind of tension, but the kind of tension people feel when they know something really good and exciting is about to happen.

Lucas and Peyton's hands rested loosely palm to palm over the centre console. Every so often Peyton would dip her middle finger to tickle Lucas' palm. Years ago the group of friends had talked about how tickling someone's palm meant you wanted to have sex with them. Lucas wondered if Peyton remembered that conversation and was doing it on purpose or if it was just a comfortable unconscious gesture on her part.

That they were going to sleep together was a given since it was the whole point of the trip, but the sensation the small circles being drawn on his hand was giving him in his groin was enough to make him fidget in his seat a bit. Lucas turned to look at Peyton for an indication of her meaning, and the darkness of the twinkle in her eyes was enough to tell him all he needed to know.

He pulled the car up to the beach house and once again hurried around to the passenger side to assist Peyton out of the car. As he lifted her by the hand out of the car, they came face to face, their bodies flush with one another.

Peyton looked up at Lucas, their eyes instantly locking, and their lips just inches apart. It took what felt like an eternity for Lucas to close the remaining space between them and gently touch his lips to hers. The kiss was chaste, and soft as their mouths remained closed lipped, but the promise communicated through their lips had both of their heads spinning. First kisses were always the best.

_Flashback_

_In the months after Keith's death, Peyton and Lucas isolated themselves somewhat from the rest of the group. It was the summer after eighth grade, and although there were times when the seven were all together hanging out at the rivercourt where the boys played basketball or swimming in Deb's pool, most of the time it was just Lucas and Peyton on their own._

_They would sit in the café, or hang out under a bridge by the river. That was a spot that Peyton had discovered right after her mom died. Now with a shared grief of a lost parent, they went their together. They would talk about their memories from childhood and all the things their families would do together. They laughed about the times when they were really little that they would play mommies and daddies and thought how embarrassing it was._

_As Lucas and Peyton spent more time together, so did Nathan, Haley and Brooke. Nathan was realizing that Haley was really a great girl and his feelings for Peyton were more brotherly than anything else. Although Brooke hung out with them a lot, she often felt like a fifth wheel, and had nurtured a whole different set of friends from the Magnificent Seven that she could go to when all the others were busy._

_One day Lucas and Peyton were sitting under the bridge talking about a particular joint family vacation they had enjoyed and how they wished they could do that again. _

_It took surprisingly little persuasion to get Karen and Larry to agree and for one week in July, the four had a great time in a beach house on an island off the North Carolina coast. There was a time when everyone thought that Karen and Larry would start a relationship, but they settled into a comfortable, platonic friendship. Like Lucas and Peyton, they had a shared grief at the loss of a spouse, and that comforted them._

_Lucas and Peyton really didn't care where they were. They were with their family at the beach and away from all the things children their age should not have had to deal with._

_On their last evening, they had all sat around a campfire down on the beach and when the fire began to die, Karen and Larry excused themselves back to the house. Lucas and Peyton wanted to stay until the fire was completely out and so they continued to sit on the sand. The conversation turned to their friends and wondering what they had been doing._

"_Nathan kissed Haley." Peyton suddenly blurted out "she sent me a text yesterday."_

"_I know" replied Lucas. "Nathan sent me one."_

"_She said it was kind of gross at first and kind of slobbery, but then it got better."_

_Lucas laughed._

"_Nathan said it was awesome, but kind of awkward when they bumped teeth."_

_Peyton drew circles in the sand with her finger and stared into the dying embers of the fire. She stopped and looked up shyly at Lucas._

"_Have you ever…you know kissed anyone?" she asked timidly. "You know like really kiss, tongues and stuff." She already knew the answer since she couldn't believe Lucas wouldn't have told her._

"_No. It's got to be the right person. I thought it might be Brooke, but then I decided it wasn't. I'm sure she's already kissed a few guys, and I kind of wanted it to be a shared first, ya know?" Lucas looked down and began drawing his own circles in the sand. "Oh god, how much of a girl do I sound?" he laughed._

"_I think it's sweet." Said Peyton and after a pause continued. "Ya know, I haven't kissed anyone either. Maybe we should just be each other's first and get it over with. I mean we've done practically every other first in our lives around the same time, why not this?" _

_Lucas contemplated for a moment and then nodded as he moved closer to Peyton. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the sand leaning back on their hands. They each turned to face each other and leaned in slowly closing the gap between them. As they drew closer, Peyton's eyes fluttered shut and Lucas paused for a moment to take in her face. He'd never noticed before how flawless her ivory skin was or how her blonde curls perfectly framed her face._

_Lucas leaned in the rest of the way pursing his lips together and touching them to hers. They stayed that way for a few seconds before pulling apart, their eyes opening to look at the other. Peyton smiled shyly at Lucas, and then reached with her right hand behind his neck to pull him in again, this time taking only his top lip between hers and pulling gently. Lucas responded by sucking lightly on her bottom lip. Slowly their advances became less tentative as their mouths opened and each granted the other's tongue access. They experimented with different pressures and techniques for a few minutes until they finally broke apart breathless and Lucas surprised Peyton with a last gentle closed mouth kiss to her lips._

"_Not bad" teased Peyton as she smiled at him. "Haley's right, it could get a bit slobbery, but overall I'd give it an 8 out of 10." She was teasing him, but inside her stomach was swimming with butterflies from the best feeling she had ever felt. She had always put the affection she felt for Lucas down to their closeness. They had been practically raised as brother and sister._

"_Not bad?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "At least we didn't bump teeth! I guess I'll have to practice more then" he laughed as he leaned in to kiss her again. He had always had feelings for Peyton ever since he was old enough to recognize what they were. As they finished kissing again, he felt Peyton pull away a bit._

"_What is it?" he asked "Am I not improving?" he added jokingly._

_Peyton smiled and stroked his cheek. "Yeah, you are" she replied "it's just that I don't want us to change. I like having you as my friend and kind of like my big brother…even though I _am _older."_ _She teased._

"_Peyt, first of all…eww…brothers and sisters don't kiss like that, and second I don't want it to change us being friends either." He was a little disappointed, but knew exactly what Peyton was trying to say. "Maybe we should just call it a night and we'll talk about it tomorrow." He suggested standing up and offering a hand to her._

_Peyton nodded as she took his hand to pull her up. They never did talk about it the next day, and they didn't kiss again like that for a few years._

Lucas pulled away from Peyton and moved them from the car so he could close the door. It was very dark so Lucas led Peyton by the hand to the front door. Once inside, Peyton took a moment to look around and felt a sense of déjà vu as if she had been there before. She finally started clicking everything into place.

"Yes." Lucas said simply as he watched the recognition wash across her face.

"It just clicked with me now. This is where we came the summer before we started high school. It was all dark so I didn't recognize anything. Luke, this is amazing. You are a romantic, aren't you?" she blushed.

"I try." He replied walking over to stand in front of her and place his hands on her hips. "So, I was thinking we should probably talk about that kiss." He said cheekily.

"Which one?" Peyton feigned not understanding and put her arms around his neck.

"Ooh, the one out there on the beach sixteen years ago" he dipped his head to kiss the right side of her neck. "The one out there by the car a few minutes ago." He moved to the left side of her neck. "Any, and all of the ones in between" he kissed the tip of her nose and paused for a moment. "And this one…" he finally added and quickly claimed her mouth with his own.

This time the kiss was passionate and hungry their tongues each battled for control of the other. Peyton's hands slipped to Lucas' chest and grabbed his shirt in her fists willing him closer to her. Lucas wrapped his arms fully around her slender frame pulling her as close to him as he could, fully absorbing the sensations her tongue was creating in his mouth as well as the feel of his hands on the bare skin of her back.

A flood of emotions filled Lucas as they stood at the foot of the stairs fully engulfed in each other. It was like he was having an epiphany and everything that he had been trying to fight for so many years was suddenly overwhelming him. Since those first feelings that he thought he had for her to this very moment he had been in love with Peyton Sawyer, and probably always would be. They had told each other they love each other so many times throughout their lives, because they did. They were as close as two people could be, but his urge to say it now held so much more meaning for him. He was just afraid of how Peyton would react. So he just said it how he always had and hoped she took something more from it.

He pulled away from their scorching kiss and held Peyton gently by the arms.

"Peyton, you know I love you, I really do. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't." He pushed a blonde curl back behind her ear. "I just want you to know that I can't wait to have a baby with you."

Peyton was a smart girl and she knew Lucas better than he knew himself most of the time. The tone of his voice as he spoke, the way he held her and looked straight in her eyes, and the way he'd just kissed her told her that he was feeling all the things she'd been feeling for years and pushing away to the back of her mind. She tried to suppress the lump in her throat as her eyes welled with tears.

Her eyes were bright and twinkling as she spoke softly.

"Luke, I love you too, and I think we've waited long enough." She barely whispered. The double meaning of her words was not lost on Lucas as she took his hand and led him up the stairs.


	5. It Means So Much More

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I caved, as you can see, and went to M. I couldn't do what I wanted to do without going into fairly graphic detail. I hope it lives up to expectations**. **Still own nothing.**

Chapter 5

It Means So Much More

Peyton let go of Lucas' hand as she ascended the stairs and Lucas paused for a moment just to watch the way her hips swayed as she took each stair. He quickly shed his jacket and removed his tie opening the top button of his shirt as he followed her.

Once at the door to the master bedroom Peyton turned and stood facing him leaning against the doorframe as Lucas approached her. He placed his hands gently on her hips and backed her into the bedroom pecking at her lips as they moved.

Standing at the side of the bed, Lucas took Peyton's face in both his hands and kissed her tenderly sucking on her bottom lip as he pulled away. He slid his hands down her sides grazing his thumbs down the outline of the sides of her breasts stopping briefly to take the zipper on the side of the dress and slide it down slowly. Peyton's hands rested on his chest as they continued slow, deep, soft kisses.

As the intensity of each kiss grew, so did the need to remove clothing. Peyton worked on the buttons of Lucas' shirt while he traced feather light touches across her shoulders finally pushed the straps of her dress away and watched the black fabric fall to the floor. She tried to push his shirt off quickly, but the cufflinked sleeves got stuck at his wrists. The moment served to separate them briefly as Lucas removed his cufflinks.

Having taken a step back, he was able to really take in Peyton standing there in the corset and stockings and he became painfully aware that his loose fitting dress pants really weren't that loose anymore.

"My god you're beautiful." he said as he tossed his shirt to the floor.

"You're not so bad yourself." She answered seductively reaching to run her hands over the perfectly formed pectoral muscles and capturing his mouth while pushing her tongue forward. Her hands found their way down his washboard abs to the belt of his pants. She could feel his excitement straining to be released as she worked his belt and zipper with one hand while the other massaged his erect penis.

Lucas stopped her for a moment as he gazed into her green orbs with his own eyes heavy with lust.

"This isn't going to last very long if you keep that up." He growled.

"_This _time." She mewed. "Next time we'll really take our time."

"This means so much more than I ever thought possible." He said kissing her again and trailed kisses down her jaw line to her collarbone and the side of her neck.

Peyton closed her eyes and moved her head to the side to give him easier access.

"It means everything." She panted breathlessly as he continued to assault her neck with kisses and slide his hand down inside her panties and she gently massaged him through his boxers. Her words crashed over him as he was reminded that this was not the first time they had done this, but this was so very different than the last.

_Flashback_

_Four years of high school seemed to fly by and not without its share of drama. _

_Nathan and Haley continued to date through high school. In junior year Nathan applied for emancipation from his parents. Dan had been released from jail and was harassing Deb. She had turned to prescription drugs to cope and Nathan felt he was parenting himself anyway and moved out of his mother's house and into his own apartment. Deb tried to forbid it, and Dan tried to interfere, so Nathan applied for emancipation and it was granted._

_Nathan and Haley shocked everyone when they announced one day at the end of their junior year that they had gotten married after Haley's parents had reluctantly given their consent. Although, it was definitely unusual and they were clearly very young, they made it work, and it was quickly accepted._

_Lucas and Peyton settled into a comfortable friendship never mentioning their kiss again to anyone. Lucas and Brooke mended their differences over Peyton's affections and dated long enough in sophomore year to lose their virginity to each other. Peyton felt a little uncomfortable as Brooke described details, but never discussed the relationship with Lucas. Lucas and Brooke fizzled quickly once they realized they didn't work as a couple beyond the physical and were much better off as friends. Both had a succession of short lived relationships through the rest of high school._

_In their sophomore year a new student came to Tree Hill and joined the basketball team. Jake Jagielski fit in with the crowd immediately and soon gravitated to Peyton. Peyton lost her virginity to him and for all of junior year and the first part of senior year they were a serious item. She and Lucas drifted apart a bit during this time. Although Lucas would never have admitted it at the time, it was mostly his doing because he couldn't stand seeing Peyton with someone else even though he was afraid to be with her himself._

_Also in junior year, Lucas discovered he had an hereditary heart condition called HCM courtesy of Dan. It was a manageable condition with medication, but he had to give up basketball, and so he turned to his second love: writing._

_Senior year brought a few surprises. Haley was pregnant, but it was taken in the same stride that her and Nathan's marriage was, and she and Nathan were stronger than ever. He had a basketball scholarship to Duke and Haley had an academic scholarship. The baby was due at the end of the school year so they would be able to settle into married student housing with the new baby._

_Brooke started a relationship with a boy named Chase who was a member of Clean Teens, a school club that practiced abstinence. It was an odd fit for Brooke, but she seemed to relish in a relationship not based on sex._

_Peyton broke up with Jake in the spring when she discovered he'd been seeing his ex-girlfriend Nikki on the side and Nikki was pregnant. Jake dropped out and went to live with Nikki. Lucas remained single for most of senior year except for a couple of hook ups at parties after basketball games._

_When it came time for prom and they were both single, the rest of the group urged them to just go together so they could all be a gang again. Skills and Mouth (much to everyone's surprise) were both dating cheerleaders. So the Magnificent Seven would be together one last time in high school._

_The gang all knew that Lucas and Peyton had been harboring secret feelings for the other for years, but all attempts to push the two together had always ended badly. They were friends and friends they would stay. Nothing could break that bond they had and a relationship would put it in serious jeopardy._

_They reluctantly agreed to go to prom together, but ended up having a wonderful time. It was kind of like a date. Lucas picked her up and gave her a corsage. They sat together, danced together, and left together. When he dropped her at home at the end of the evening, he kissed her on the cheek and thanked her just for being her and then left._

_Peyton hid her disappointment well that nothing had happened between them as she had secretly hoped it would. What she didn't know is that Lucas had left so quickly because all he really wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her he wanted to be with her. Each had been so good at hiding their feelings for the other that they had convinced each other and themselves that it would be disastrous if they gave in to those feelings._

_Graduation day was yet another adventure as Haley went into labour during her Valedictory Address and James Lucas Scott was welcomed into the world._

_Two weeks later there was a huge graduation party where the juniors celebrated becoming seniors and the seniors just celebrated._

_Big things were happening the next day. Peyton was going to LA to start an internship at a record label and Brooke was going with her to work on expanding a clothing line she'd started developing. Lucas had finished writing a book and was getting ready to pound the pavement to try and get it published. He would be attending Duke in the fall with Nathan and Haley and also student coaching his brother on the basketball team. He had to be close to the game even if he couldn't play it._

_The fact that Peyton was leaving the next day was weighing on Lucas. He had no idea when he would see her again or how their friendship would survive. He had been acting cold and distant to her and really just not nice. He seemed to relish in picking fights over nothing. The sexual tension that had been building for years between them was reaching an all time high. He realized that now she was leaving there was no hope of anything more. He drank a little bit too much that night and propositioned a couple of girls only to be rejected._

_Peyton watched him and finally decided to step in and take him away to one of the bedrooms to sober up before he completely humiliated himself. She had been drinking herself, and was feeling quite buzzed, but was not in the same shape as Lucas, and she knew that part of his behavior was lashing out because she was leaving. She was fed up with how he was acting._

"_Why the bad boy routine, Luke? This isn't you." She said as she pushed him on the bed._

"_You're leaving and I blew it." Slurred Lucas. "I guess I figured we'd be together by now."_

_Peyton sighed. "You're a jackass." She spat. "You pick now to say this? When I'm leaving? Now is not the time, Lucas. Maybe we've missed it, I don't know , but it's really shitty of you to do this now."_

"_I may be drunk, but I know we'll be together someday. I see Nathan and Haley and James, and I want that. I may only be 18, but I want that, and I think I want it with you."_

"_You _think_?" Peyton said incredulously. "Lucas, you're drunk, and I'm drunk, and this is so not the conversation to be having right now."_

"_No, it is, because if I don't tell you now, I may never." He was struggling to form coherent thoughts._

"_Alright. You want this so bad, I'll make you a deal." Peyton started. "You think this is what you want and with me?" She paused for a moment to consider carefully what she was about to say. "If by the time we're 30, we are both single and childless, we'll have a child together. Deal?"_

_Lucas thought for a moment in his alcohol induced haze, a little shocked by her proposition. If that was the best he was going to get, he would take it. It at least gave him a shot at being in her life in the future, if they did lose touch now._

"_Deal," he said holding his hand out. Peyton took it and they shook. Then the alcohol took over. "But a handshake really isn't going to cut if for this deal," he added as he pulled her roughly to him crashing his lips to hers._

"_You fucking coward" she panted as she pushed away and tried to punch him in the balls. "You wouldn't have dared try this if you weren't drunk." She hissed._

_He grunted and grabbed her again falling back on the bed from the blow which had landed on his knee. They hadn't play fought since they were children, but somehow this didn't seem much like playing. _

_Peyton grabbed his hair and pulled it viciously while he tried to gain traction on the mattress to pin her down. She slithered away just before his hands could close on her shoulders, did a sort of semi-jackknife and grabbed his penis firmly in both hands. He went totally immobile. God knew what she might do, starting with emasculation. Neither moved a muscle, waiting in a silence broken first by their breathing waiting for the next move._

"_You want to do this?" Peyton spat. "Let's do this and just get it out of our system." She tightened her grip on him a little more. Another long silence fell and to Lucas disgust, embarrassment or pleasure (he really wasn't sure which), he felt his penis hardening in her unrelenting grip. Harder and harder. There was nothing he could do to stop the damn thing from reacting, and he didn't think he wanted to. He tried to get away, but she had him too tightly. After half a minute it became slightly less important to get out of her hands and as soon as she felt the change in she used one of her hands to undo his zipper while, with the other, her grip changed from that of prison warden to that of a woman, opening and closing her fingers around him in a rhythm he couldn't resist._

"_Bitch," he grunted._

"_Shut up," she replied, and began to caress his penis with delicate feathery strokes, while she cuddled his balls with the hand that had undone his zipper. He attacked his belt buckle and pushed his jeans and boxers down below his knees to give her more room to move in, but Peyton concentrated her attention on his penis, never straying away to touch the rest of his body. She didn't intend to give him an instant to think. A penis, as every woman knows, has no brain. It was jerking strongly as it grew bigger, almost twitching away from her while she lapped it with her tongue until she heard his somewhat unwilling groan of pleasure. She dragged her tongue slowly up from the base of his penis, pausing every now and then as if wondering whether to go further, putting her entire open mouth around his shaft as far as it would go, sucking hard for just an instant, and then resumed her leisurely progress toward the full, pronounced and tender line at the base of the tip. There she paused and made her tongue into a hot little arrow that circled the swelling head, but she didn't take it into her mouth. He'd have to ask for it, she thought as she slid out of her underwear without his noticing her rapid movement beneath her skirt._

"_Please, " she heard him breathe, "_please._" At his words, she raised herself slightly and lowered her mouth down on the enormous head of his penis, first just holding it and exploring the hot pulsing shape with the whole of the inside of her lips and her now-flattened tongue. He pushed his hips up from the mattress in a strong demanding movements and she took that as a signal to suck with all the power she had._

_She heard his breaths coming faster and faster and she knew now was the time to pull her mouth away._

"_Luke?" she asked breathlessly as she still held his penis hoping he would know what she was asking._

"_My wallet, quick" he panted._

_Peyton fumbled in the pocket of his jeans still around his ankles and found the foil wrapper she was looking for in his wallet. Ripping the wrapper ferociously with her teeth, she removed the condom and quickly rolled it down the shaft._

_With a quick move she slid upward on the bed and put one knee on each side of his body. Quickly she lowered herself down onto him, so that he was totally enfolded in her waiting wetness. Savagely intent, she rode him, raiding and lowering her pelvis, eluding his grasping hands that tried to slow her down, moving faster and faster, caught up in a relentless rhythm as she felt her own orgasm growing with each thrust she made. Each time she plunged down onto his body and her clitoris came into contact with the base of his penis, it brought her closer and closer Lucas began to meet her rhythm with his thrusting hips until they both tensed and arched as they came together in a long, shaking magnificent release._

_Peyton collapsed on top of Lucas. His eyes were closed and he had gone completely limp. She mustered up the force to roll of his body. Both of them still had their shoes on as well as all their clothes except for Peyton's panties._

_Lucas' lips moved but she couldn't hear him until she moved closer._

"_Grudge fuck," he croaked._

"_Mercy hump," she hissed as she put her panties on. "A deal's a deal, but this…this meant nothing," she added as she stormed out._

_It would be a year before they spoke to each other again._

The weight of Peyton's words now after remembering her words the last time they were in this position made Lucas want to just take her right there, but their evening had been tender and perfect to this point and he wasn't about to ruin this moment.

He felt like the last few hours had put them on a path they had both been wanting for a long time, and it was about much more than impregnating Peyton.

Her hands were now inside the back of his boxers and moving around to the front to release his throbbing erection as she pushed them down and let them drop to the floor.

Lucas removed his hand from her panties and moved his arm around the back of her to support her as he pushed her backwards to lay down on the bed. He stood over her completely naked as she eyed him wantonly. She was still wearing the full corset and stockings. The only thing really getting in his way was her panties.

She was laying across the bed sideways with her legs dangling over the side and Lucas knew exactly what he was going to do next. He knelt down in front of her and slid his hands up the sides of her smooth thighs, stopping at the waistband of her panties and slowly pulling them back down and off her feet.

"Everything else stays on" he said as he pushed her legs apart and ran his hands up the inside of her thighs this time. When he got to the top he pushed his hand up over her pelvic bones letting his thumbs graze her soft mound.

Peyton squirmed under the sensation and let out a moan of anticipation as she felt him lay soft kisses up the inside of her thigh. With his thumb and forefinger he parted her lips and went straight for the swollen bundle of nerves. As he sucked gently and flicked with his tongue, Peyton arched her back and scrunched the sheets in her hands.

"Luke, please." She gasped.

"Tell me what you want, Peyton." He said before plunging his tongue inside her.

Grabbing his head in her hands, she pulled him up to her.

"I want you inside me, now" she gasped pulling him up to meet her face. She pulled him down into a long lingering kiss tasting herself on him. "Make love to me."

Those words meant everything to him as he put a hand behind her and effortlessly lifted her further onto the bed. Settling himself in the cradle of her hips, he nudged at her entrance as he sucked on her neck. Peyton raised her hips slightly as she grabbed his buttocks pulling them towards her, letting him know she was ready.

He slid in so quickly and easily that he paused for a moment just to take in the feel of her. In fifteen years of being sexually active, he had never had sex without a condom, and it somehow felt right that for this, Peyton was his first.

Peyton raised her hips again letting him know that she wanted him to move, and they soon began to move together in an easy rhythm. Lucas brought Peyton to her climax three times before finally releasing himself into her, and the significance of that moment nearly brought them both to tears. He pushed into her as far as he could without hurting her and she pulled him in as tight as she could until she could no longer feel him pulsing inside her.

As Lucas lay spent on top of her, trying not to crush her, he buried his face in her neck and kissed behind her ear as he caught his breath. Peyton ran her fingers through his hair and traced circles on his back with her fingernails as she willed it to be the moment of conception. She would never forget that moment. That was the moment that she actually let herself believe that baby or not, she was in love with Lucas Scott and probably always had been.


	6. There Has To Be A Morning After

Chapter 6

**There Has To Be a Morning After**

Sunlight poured through the sheers along with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore as Lucas began to stir. His body ached in all the good ways it should after a night of passion like he and Peyton had just shared. Sometime between the second and third time, Peyton's elaborate lingerie outfit had been discarded in favour of full skin to skin contact, and after that the two had not been more than a few inches from each other and always some part of their bodies touching. The sun was just starting to show itself over the horizon when they had finally succumbed to sleep, their limbs fully entangled with each other.

Lucas was laying on his stomach with his right arm draped over Peyton's stomach. As he carefully removed his arm and turned on his side Peyton fluttered her eyelids open and smiled at him.

"Hi" said Peyton sweetly.

"Hi," replied Lucas as he brushed her hair back from her eyes and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"You didn't walk out on me this time," he smirked.

"Not funny," she retorted as she turned her head to deny another kiss.

"Kinda funny," he countered pulling her face towards him again to complete the missed kiss.

"Well, you weren't a jackass this time, " teased Peyton, a smile playing on her lips as she now pulled him closer for a longer kiss.

"Hey, I was drunk and I was afraid of losing you, and …I don't want to relive that right now, 'cos this is sooo much better." He rolled on top of her, nestled in her hips and began assaulting her neck with kisses.

A few hours later, Peyton was laying on Lucas' chest tracing circles, and they were both deep in thought.

"I can't believe it took us this long to get here," said Lucas as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

"Yeah," answered Peyton simply. She wasn't sure where 'here' was, but she knew that lying in his arms in that moment felt pretty good, and she couldn't help wonder if this was really the beginning for them. After thirty years of friendship and fights and dancing around their feelings for each other, it just felt like she should have been there, that _they _should have been there since that first time. That first time that caused the longest period of their lives without talking to each other.

_Flashback_

_Peyton went straight home after leaving Lucas at the party and threw herself on her bed and cried and cried. Part of her was crying because she was leaving in the morning, but mostly she was crying because she was reliving all the words Lucas had said to her and analyzing herself and her actions over the last year. _

_She had noticed that Lucas didn't seem to get into any serious relationships, but he didn't really sleep around either. She knew all the girls he'd slept with. A grand total of four, and one of those was Brooke._

_She'd realized that she did have feeling for Lucas, and remained single on purpose through the end of senior year, just to be available to be his date for prom. She had harbored a secret hope that they would go to prom together and realize they should have be dating, just like Nathan and Haley, and it would all be great._

_But then nothing happened at prom, and soon after she received the offer to start the internship at the record label in Los Angeles, and decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to start something when she was going to be leaving. The other thing stopping her was that she wasn't really sure that Lucas felt the same way. They had never talked about the kissing on the beach, and although they spent a good deal of their time together, there was never anything overt to indicate things could progress further._

_It wasn't until she had announced her intention to leave after graduation that things changed and not really for the better._

_Lucas was angry and mean and cold, but every time they accidentally brushed shoulders or touched hands casually, there seemed to be an electric charge pass between them._

_Then the graduation party happened and Lucas said all the things she'd wanted to hear all along, but now it was too late. It was clearly the alcohol that fuelled her, but also all the pent up sexual energy she'd been suppressing for so long that drove her to do what she did. There was also something really hot about angry sex._

_All those things were running through her head as she laid on her bed crying and crying and crying all night until it was time to leave and meet Brooke to go to the airport._

_They stopped by Deb's house first to say goodbye to Nathan and Haley and the baby. It was tearful, but there were promises that they'd see each other soon. Brooke asked if they should go to Lucas' house and Peyton said no, he'd be at the airport, and that's when Brooke noticed the look on Peyton's face._

"_Oh my god, you guys totally did it, didn't you?" Brooke said excitedly._

"_Brooke!" _

"_No, I have a gift, I can tell these things. So, how was it? Is that weird? I mean, I know how he was with me, but he'd be so different with you and oh god, this is just…" she rambled._

"_Brooke, please! It wasn't like that." Peyton said sadly. "He's not coming to the airport. I'm not going to say goodbye to him. Let's just go. Please?" _

_They sat in silence for the rest of the cab ride, and it wasn't until they were on the plane and in the air that Peyton confessed everything to Brooke, including the deal she had made with Lucas. All Brooke could do was listen and nod and give support to her friend. She never imagined that twelve years later they would actually carry out the pact._

_Lucas had passed out after Peyton left, and when he woke up with his pants still around his ankles and the condom still hanging from his limp penis, the events of the previous night came flooding back to him. _

_He wished he hadn't got drunk. He wished he hadn't said those things to Peyton. Well, that wasn't exactly true. He wished he had told her sooner that he had feelings for her. He wished they had talked about that kiss on the beach. Hell, he kind of wished they'd had a double wedding with Nathan and Haley. As his mind filled with Peyton and the night before, he heard his cell phone ring. He opened it up and waited for the onslaught to hit._

"_Lucas Eugene Scott, where the hell are you?" came the familiar voice._

"_Not so loud please Hales," croaked Lucas groggily._

"_Brooke and Peyton just left and you missed them. How could you?" she yelled down the phone._

"_Well, Brooke and I are really not on great speaking terms, still, unfortunately" he began._

"_Yeah, ok, I get that, but Luke, Peyton has gone and you didn't say goodbye." She pleaded._

"_Yeah I know, we kind of…" his voice trailed off._

"_Oh god Lucas! You slept with her didn't you? Just because she was leaving?" Haley could tell just by the way he said it and she was now livid. Lucas could hear Nathan in the background saying 'He did what?'_

"_Hales, it wasn't like that…we got in a fight…and I said things and she got mad, and it was all just a mess. I don't think we'll be talking for a while," he sighed defeated "Oh yeah, but if we're both single when we're 30, we'll be having a kid together, so that's something to look forward to." He added sarcastically._

_Haley finished up their conversation by telling him to get his butt over to their house. She wanted more details and he was going to need friends and a good hangover remedy. and it was going to be a tough road ahead._

Peyton raised up on her elbows over Lucas' chest and smiled at him. He could tell she was getting ready to say something.

"I know that the whole point of this weekend means we should probably stay in bed, but I'm kind of hungry," she said. "I'm going to make some French toast." She started to grab for Lucas' dress shirt on the floor beside the bed, when he grabbed her and pulled her back again.

"Peyt, we both know that the point of this was…" he was interrupted by Peyton's phone in her purse. She reached to check who it was, and when she saw it was Brooke, she knew she had to answer.

"Hey best friend!" she answered cheerily.

"So, how was it?" Peyton should have known that would be Brooke's first question. She looked over at Lucas who was watching her while she was talking.

Peyton's silence let Brooke know that Lucas was listening.

"Ok, so cough once if it was good, and twice if it was better than that." Brooke instructed.

Peyton looked at Lucas again and went into a frenzied coughing fit. Brooke squealed down the phone and Peyton had to move it from her ear.

"That's all I needed to know," Brooke said excitedly. "Call me with details when you get back." As quickly as she had been there, she was gone. Peyton closed her phone and looked at Lucas.

Wanting to return to the serious conversation they were starting to have, Peyton began.

"Luke, I want you to know…" and then they were interrupted again by Lucas' phone. He rolled his eyes and checked quickly to see it was Haley.

"Hey Hales, what's up?"

"Don't, 'Hey Hales' me Lucas. Where are you? Nathan went by the house this morning to get you to go to the rivercourt and he said it was all locked up and you clearly hadn't been home. Are you ok? You know we worry about you."

"Haley, I'm fine. I just needed to be away for a couple of days." Peyton crawled over him and began kissing his ear and he tried to swat her away. Haley heard the commotion.

"Lucas, are you with someone?" she asked almost excitedly. He hadn't been with anyone since his divorce.

"Uh, yeah" he pushed Peyton back gently and asked a question with his eyes that Peyton understood and she nodded. "Hales, I'm with Peyton."

"Seriously?" she exclaimed, and then the realization hit her. "Lucas! You're both 30 and both single and childless and oh…my…god…" the implication hung in the air.

"Yes, Haley, I'm aware of that, and so is Peyton. We will call you when we get back to town." Not wishing to have a conversation with Haley that he had yet to have with Peyton, he hung up.

It was his turn to begin again. He sat up in bed with the sheet draped over his lap and faced Peyton taking her hands.

"Peyton, I have to say this now, or the timing will be all wrong again, and I'm not going to risk that. I went into this willing to be the sperm donor, because that's what you wanted, and I really would do anything for you. But the fact that I would do anything for you, should tell you something. I've been denying it to myself for years and it's caused me to do some pretty stupid things. After last night, I know I can't deny it anymore. I won't deny it anymore. I want everything with you. If you're pregnant now, that's fantastic, but all I really want right now is for you to be my girlfriend. I love you, Peyton. I'm in love with you." He gently rubbed her hands and tried to read Peyton's reaction in her eyes.

She sat silent for a moment playing with his hands and then began to laugh.

"Not quite the reaction, I was hoping for" he chuckled.

"Maybe this is…" she said as she lunged at him and gave him one of the most passionate kisses he had ever had. She pulled away slowly and stared into his mesmerizing blue eyes.

"Luke, we've been dancing around each other for years, and yeah our timing has always sucked. But this whole thing, the timing is all right. You do realize that we could have had a baby through IVF. But that wouldn't have been what I wanted with you. I want a baby and I want one with you, but more than that…I want _you_. I can't believe it took some stupid deal we made when we were drunk and pissed off at each other years ago for us to come full circle. But we here now, and yes, I would love to be your girlfriend." She leaned in and kissed him more gently this time.

"And…?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah…I'm in love with too" she giggled and they fell back together into bed again, thoughts of French toast forgotten.


	7. New FriendsOld FriendsAlways Friends

**A/N: I was really hoping to hit 100 reviews, but I'm close enough. Hope you're all enjoying the journey as much as I am through Lucas and Peyton's lives.**

Chapter 7

New Friends – Old Friends – Always Friends

Sometimes there are events in a person's life that they want to share with everybody, and scream from the rooftops because it is the absolute best thing that has ever happened.

Sometimes there are events in a person's life that are so special and so significant in some fashion that they want to keep it all for themselves as a private memory to be treasured forever.

The debate that Lucas and Peyton were having on the way home from Emerald Isle on Sunday morning was which category there weekend fell under, and more specifically the news that they were now a couple.

The issue was not so much should they tell their friends they were a couple, it was more a question of when. Obviously, it was no longer a secret that they had made a plan to carry out their pact. Brooke had been true to her word and clearly not made any mention to Nathan or Haley.

The whole idea of being together was still very new to them and their friends had never been subtle about pushing them together. They weren't sure if it would be a good thing to tell them and relieve the pressure, or to just keep it to themselves for a bit and get used to the idea themselves.

"I know it seems selfish to not say anything," said Lucas holding her hand lightly while he held the steering wheel with the other "but I want to be selfish with you, Peyt. It's never been just us, and I really think we need that, just for a little while. Maybe until we know if you're pregnant or not. I meant, they'll have that to focus on for a while, right? And we can just…I don't know…be."

"Luke, I agree, I do. I just wonder if by not saying anything, we'll be increasing the pressure. You know they'll be like pitbulls, and won't let go until they've got something. You remember what it was like with your first book tour when you came to LA."

Flashback

_It had been a year since graduation and good things had been happening for Lucas. His book had been picked up by a publisher and given to a junior editor to work on. The book was a semi-autobiographical novel and was being touted to have wide appeal with teens. It had everything from scandal to murder to teen romance and unrequited love. Although, the names had been changed in many cases, everyone who knew Lucas knew that the two main characters were Lucas and Peyton. A life long friendship that never made it to a romance, but could have if either party had expressed their feelings without fear. When it happened, his first thought was to call Peyton and tell her about it, but he couldn't bring himself to pick up the phone._

_Lucas' editor, Lindsey, had probed for details of the real person behind the heroin of the story, but Lucas had been very vague and simply told her it didn't matter. The real person wasn't around and had no idea what the book was about. He didn't want to discuss it any further. He found himself attracted to Lindsey, but guarded his heart fiercely. The more time they spent together on his book, the more he thought that maybe he could be with someone other than Peyton, and given that they were not on speaking terms, he should probably move on. He couldn't be alone forever._

_Lucas was still attending college with Nathan and Haley, and the basketball team had made it to the final four during March Madness. Lucas was being haled as an outstanding student coach. It was bittersweet for Lucas since his and Peyton's nineteenth birthday was during the sweet sixteen round and it was the first time they had not celebrated together. They hadn't spoken since that fateful night and even their birthday couldn't bring either out of their stubbornness to call the other._

_Peyton's life was not going so well. She and Brooke had gone to LA together, but Brooke's clothing line soon took off and she had to go to New York where the fashion buzz was. Peyton's job wasn't so much an internship for the record business as a mundane life of getting coffee, making photocopies, and being harassed by overpaid, chauvinistic idiots. The only bright spot in her life was a budding new relationship._

_Julian Baker had bumped into her outside the photocopy room after visiting with a friend there. Peyton's pile of papers had gone flying and Julian had apologized and offered to take her out for dinner to atone for his clumsiness. Peyton was feeling particularly vulnerable and alone after seeing Nathan and Lucas on television during the basketball tournament and not receiving a phone call on their birthday. It didn't really occur to her that she could have called him. That ship had sailed, she thought. Time to move on._

_She spoke on the phone with Brooke about once a week, who in turn spoke with Nathan and Haley. Peyton had basically cut all ties to _that _boy, and that included his brother and sister-in-law. It was from Brooke that Nathan and Haley learned about Julian, and it was Haley that passed the information on to Lucas, hoping to spur him into action one way or another. She liked Lindsey, but held out hope for Lucas and Peyton and thought that the news of Julian might just be the catalyst to get him to confess his feelings to Peyton._

_Brooke had been given the task of telling Peyton about Lindsey, and Peyton had taken the news with a tinge of regret and disappointment but knew that she had Julian and should be happy for Lucas. Brooke and Haley had a number of conversations about how to push the two together and each did their own part in planting the seed with each of their friends that they should at least get back to talking to each other. They figured once they did that, the rest would take care of itself. Nathan just shook his head every time Haley was on the phone with Brooke and stayed clear of the whole situation._

_The information about Julian gave Lucas a tinge of jealousy, but he decided that since he and Peyton both had someone, it was probably time to mend fences and try and get back to being friends._

_When he found out that his book tour was going to be in LA, he took the opportunity to call Peyton and invite her to come and see him. She was surprised by the phone call and it was very awkward since she was with Julian when she received the call. Nonetheless, she agreed to be there and said she was happy for him and all the success he was having._

_Julian had insisted on going with her. He was well aware of who Lucas was, the history with Peyton, and the potential for disaster for him if she went to see him on her own. It was a little selfish on his part, but once they got there, Peyton couldn't have been more grateful for his presence._

_They walked in the door just as the signing was beginning and just in time to see Lindsey planting a kiss on Lucas' cheek. Peyton sucked in a breath and hoped Julian hadn't noticed and then took his hand to walk over to Lucas._

_They hugged uncomfortably, and introduced their significant others awkwardly, and stole looks at the other trying to convey apologies and regret without actually saying anything in front of Julian and Lindsey. The four ended up having dinner together, and while Peyton and Lindsey seemed to have little in common, Lucas and Julian talked basketball and soon began discussing the possibility of turning his book into a movie. The evening ended with the obligatory 'it was nice to see you', 'we'll keep in touch', and 'we'll always be friends' but somehow they both knew that they wouldn't be in touch for a while and trying to be friends with each other now was one of the hardest things either had ever done._

_When Lucas called Haley to tell her how it had gone, she was disappointed and didn't do very well at hiding it, but told him that he had to stop hiding his heart and do what was going to make him happy. Lucas told her to stop holding out hope for something that was never going to happen and drop the whole Peyton issue._

_When Peyton called Brooke about the meeting and the dinner, Brooke was angry. She told Peyton that wasn't how it was supposed to go. That Lucas and Peyton were supposed to have had dinner on their own, and worked everything out and sailed off into the sunset together. Peyton screamed back at Brooke that they weren't pandas that could be just thrown together and expected to mate, and to please give up on pushing her and Lucas together. She also told her to not mention Lucas to her anymore._

_When Brooke and Haley spoke to each other, they both agreed that there was still clearly unfinished business between Lucas and Peyton, but they were going to have to let it go…for now._

They debated back and forth over the issue of what to tell their friends the entire drive back to Tree Hill. They were expected for dinner at Nathan and Haley's and when they pulled in the driveway, they still had not come to an agreement as to how they were going to handle it.

"Ok, how about this…" Peyton started as they sat in the car in the driveway, "we wait and see how they react and then we react accordingly. If they are really casual about this, then I think we can tell them, but if there is any sign of the hysteria we know Haley, and especially Brooke are capable of, we keep it under out hats for a while. OK?"

"Fine," agreed Lucas a little defeated "but I'd rather just keep this as you and me for a while."

Peyton leaned over and kissed him gently, stroking his cheek.

"I know, honey…let's just go in and see what's waiting for us."


	8. Sneakin' Around With You

**A/N: I seem to have lost a few in the change to M, but that's ok, the story needed to be told this way. Hope those of you still with me are enjoying it. Probably another 3 chapters max. Thanks for reading! Still own nothing…**

Chapter 8

Sneakin' Around With You

There was a buzz of conversation to be heard as Lucas and Peyton walked into Nathan and Haley's house. They could hear Brooke and Haley chirping excitedly about all things baby, and a low rumble which was clearly Nathan and Julian talking about who knew what.

All the chatter stopped abruptly as Lucas and Peyton walked into the living room where they were all sitting, and a silence that soon became uncomfortable filled the room. Julian was the first to break the silence.

"Hi, welcome back," he said a little too enthusiastically. Brooke gave him a sympathetic look, fully understanding that he would naturally have some discomfort with this whole situation.

Once those few words were spoken, the floodgates opened as the questions began. So many all at once, that it was hard to tell who was asking them.

"How was your weekend?"

"Do you think it worked?"

"Are you guys getting together?"

"What will happen if you're pregnant?"

"Is Peyton moving in with you?"

Peyton caught Lucas' eye and gave an almost undetectable shake of her head letting him know they were not going to confess all today. Lucas' winked in acknowledgment as they took turns answering the questions carefully.

"The weekend was great" followed by some blushing on all parts.

"Too soon to tell"

"We need to figure things out"

"We'll talk about that when it happens."

"No plans for that yet."

They seemed to have deflected most of the onslaught and were quite happy when the conversation, although still somewhat related to them, turned to the imminent birth of Nathan and Haley's third child, and the arrival of Brooke and Julian's first child in about three months.

When Lucas and Peyton left and were finally alone in the car again they had their first moment to breathe and talk about what had happened.

"That was about as crazy as I thought it would be" said Lucas as he started the car.

"Yeah. You were right. Let's be selfish for a little while. I think they'll still be on us about getting together or whether I'm pregnant, but that I can handle. Once we tell them, the next questions will be about getting married, and I am sooo not ready for that." Peyton froze as she realized what she had said and looked at Lucas with apologetic eyes.

"Not that I wouldn't, I mean, it's a possibility, but I wouldn't presume, and this is so new and …" she rambled nervously.

"Peyt, stop. It's ok. It's a possibility. There's no rush. You're right. Throw them a little bone and they'll want a bigger one. We'll keep this to ourselves for a month, until we know if you're pregnant or not, and we'll have time to just be us." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and began to drive away.

"You realize we'll be sneaking around," Peyton said teasingly. "Stolen moments here and there, and no sleepovers. Wow, whose idea was this? It's actually going to suck, just like it did before, but for a whole bunch of other reasons." She laughed.

They had reached the beach side house that Peyton shared with Brook and Julian, and Lucas pulled the car up outside, shut it off and turned to Peyton very deliberately taking her left hand in both of his.

"First of all, this kind of sneaking around can be fun. We're not deceiving anyone that could be hurt by it. Technically, the only people we're hurting in some way is us, by not being out in the open. Secondly, there may not be sleepovers, but there better be sex, we didn't get that far last time." He smirked and she blushed. "Lastly, last time was over before it began, because it had to be. We were foolish and we would have been doing it to be selfish for all the wrong reasons, but at least we realized it before we hurt anyone. This time we're being selfish for the right reasons, and we're not on any timeline and I'm ok with that. I love you, Peyton Sawyer."

"Oh and I love you, Lucas Scott...so much"

_Flashback_

_The first year after Lucas' first book tour was better than the previous year. Lucas and Peyton would email and talk on the phone occasionally. They saw each other a few of times in Tree Hill over holidays and when Haley gave birth to her and Nathan's second child, a daughter named Alexandra. Peyton was named godmother and Lucas was godfather again._

_Each time they saw each other, they were with there respective significant others, and they fell back into the easy friendship they had when they were younger. Peyton and Lindsey struggled to find common ground, but they liked each other. Julian and Lucas began seriously talking about making Lucas' first book into a movie and actually spoke more often than Peyton and Lucas as the idea began to really take hold._

_The next year Lindsey moved from New York to live with Lucas in Tree Hill when they finally decided that the long distance thing wasn't working and there was no book tour to put them on the road together. She was quickly accepted into the fold with Nathan and Haley. Peyton and Julian were living together in Los Angeles, but Peyton was really starting to feel that she was never going to get anywhere with the label without compromising her principles._

_When Julian finally sealed the deal for the movie of Lucas' book after almost three years of trying, it was decided that they would move to Tree Hill together. He could more than adequately support them, and Peyton could figure out what she was doing when she got there. It wasn't long after that that Brooke moved back as well, not wanting to be apart from everyone._

_Once they were all back together, it didn't take long for everyone to seemingly gang up on Peyton and virtually force her into starting her own record label. Lucas provided the office space, Brooke provided the capital, and Haley was going to provide the talent. The latter was reluctantly since everyone knew Haley could sing, but a crippling case of stage fright kept her from ever doing anything with it._

_Soon after everyone was back in Tree Hill, Lucas proposed to Lindsey and it seemed in record time after that they were married. Peyton was happy that Lucas was happy and she tried very hard to hide the small pang of disappointment she felt. She succeeded with everyone except Lucas. He knew her too well to not notice that something was amiss when she first made an excuse to not attend Lindsey's bridal shower, and then had Julian take her home early from the wedding reception claiming she didn't feel well. _

_The pattern continued for a year after the wedding. Peyton was at all the important family events, but all attempts for her and Julian to socialize with Lucas and Lindsey either didn't make it past the planning stage or fell through at the last minute. Peyton had also virtually stopped calling Lucas altogether. They lived in the same town, but talked less than they had the second year she was in LA._

_Lucas had had enough of her avoidance and was concerned about Peyton so he went to her office that she shared with the night club, Tric, to talk to her. As he pulled up outside he notice her old Mercury Comet parked outside. She had only driven it for a while when they were in high school as it was always breaking down, but she just couldn't get rid of it. It was a cool car and a convertible and it just felt like her, and when she drove it, everyone in town knew she was coming. She hadn't had it out for ages, so he smiled at seeing it out again._

_When he went into the building, he couldn't help but stop and lean against the big sliding door that separated her space from the night club. She was sitting at her desk with her feet up on it tapping her hand on her thigh listening to a new potential artist. She was in her element and completely oblivious to everything except the music._

"_Glad some things haven't changed," Lucas said startling her from her world of music._

"_Nothing's changed," she replied somewhat shortly._

"_Oh, but it has," he said folding his arms and meandering over to the desk. "I got married, you got mad, and all of a sudden we're not friends any more."_

"_Don't be ridiculous, Luke. I'm not mad, and of course we're friends. Always _friends_." She said doodling on a piece of paper and emphasizing the word 'friends'._

"_See, that's what I'm talking about. You've got this attitude that just..I don't know..like we've got some unfinished business you'd like to settle but you're afraid to be in the same room with me or talk to me for fear we just might finish it. So if that's it, let's settle it now, because we are friends, and I have a wife and you have a boyfriend and we all need to be able to just get along together."_

"_Thanks for the speech, Rodney King," she retorted sarcastically. "You really want to know what's up? Why I've been distant?" Lucas nodded for her to continue as he moved around her desk to sit on it in front of her._

_Peyton continued more calmly._

" _Julian and I aren't getting along. I think it's going to come to an end soon, actually."_

"_I'm sorry. He never said anything to me about it."_

"_Why would he? He blames you." She answered simply._

"_Blames me?"_

"_I told him ages ago when we first got together about our stupid deal, and he thinks that our not getting along is because I'm pouting because you're married now and our deal is clearly null and void. And do you know what sucks the most about this whole thing?" Peyton rose from her chair and stood in front of Lucas still sitting on her desk and rested her hands on his knees._

_Lucas shook his head puzzled by what she was doing._

"_He's fucking right," she stated leaning in close as her eyes darted back and forth over his. "I hate it that I'm feeling like this. I hate that he called me on it, and I really hate it that I can't fucking do anything about it. It's stupid, I know, but I do feel like we missed out on something, and now…that's it…it's ov.."_

_Her last words were cut off as Lucas' hands grabbed her face and his lips met with hers in a forceful kiss. Peyton pulled back shocked that he had done that and searched his eyes for any sign of what he was doing. He pushed her back a little so he could speak._

"_Pottymouth" he grinned and then became more serious. "Peyt, I still feel like we've missed out on something, but we moved on. I have Lindsey, and you do have Julian. You can fix it, I know you can."_

_Peyton shook her head, and looked down as he tried hard to control the tears and hide the attempt from Lucas. Lucas wasn't going to allow her to hide so he placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face up. As her eyes met with his, she couldn't stop herself from closing the distance and kissing him again._

_This time neither one pulled away. Their tongues battled with each other as Lucas' hands moved to rest on her hips. Peyton held the side of his face with her left hand while her right hand ran through his hair. They continued exploring each others' mouths and taking turns sucking on the other's neck. Each move took them to a new height of need for each other. __They were growing breathless as Lucas slipped his hand under Peyton's t-shirt and began to move toward her breast. That simple action that could have been the start of the undoing of both of them was enough for Peyton to snap out of the lust induced haze she was in._

"_Luke, stop…stop…stop" she urged breathlessly as she used all her strength and willpower to push away from him. "We can't do this. I won't do this. We would be hurting and disappointing so many people."_

"_We don't have to tell anyone," he smirked half-heartedly._

"_I _know _you are not suggesting we have an affair. We are not those people!"_

"_I know, I know," he responded running his hand through his hair adding to the tangled mess created by Peyton "but goddammit, do I want to!"_

"_You have a wife, Luke, and you are happy, you can be happy. Just go, please," she begged._

"_Yeah, ok," he conceded standing from the desk and turning to leave "but we're only 23, Peyt. Seven years is a long time. Anything could happen."_

_With those words hanging, he walked out of her office, Peyton let the tears fall._

This time they could act without fear or guilt, or any real concern for anyone but themselves, and they were selfish. They felt a small amount of guilt for deceiving their friends, but for one whole month, they enjoyed being together, but not being together.

They managed to find some time alone occasionally at Peyton's office late in the evening. They had actually gone and parked in Peyton's Comet by the lake one night and made love there, but those moments were few and far between.

The new hunger they had for each other was beginning to consume them and they almost thought about telling everyone they were a couple after the first two weeks just so they could have sex without having to sneak around.

Tthe sneaking around had actually become part of the fun and they started making a game of how far they could go when they were with their friends and not get caught.

They went to a basketball game with Nathan, Julian and Brooke. Haley had stayed home with the children as she felt she was too pregnant to be going to arenas.

They took risks only crazy people would take. When they went to get refreshments Lucas pulled Peyton into a payphone alcove and pretended to talk on the phone with one while he rubbed against her with his penis, hard as a rock through his jeans, until she came, biting back cries.

On another occasion, Peyton went to see him in his office at the school where he was now the varsity basketball coach. School was out for the summer, but there were a few teachers around. She went to visit him one lunch time and ended up with him kneeling before her as she sat on the couch. With her head thrown back and her eyes closed, he slowly, with just his fingers wet with her own juices, worked her to a shuddering orgasm, watching her face every second.

Although they were still very much set on the goal of having a baby, their secret encounters were not always about sex. They took this as their time to be crazy and kinky and just enjoy each other. Lucas sometimes took a perverse pleasure in making Peyton come when he couldn't, but then other times would be all about the quickest and sneakiest way to actually have sex.

The one thing they did manage to do everyday was talk. They talked about memories from their childhood, about how they had felt about each other all along, about the future they were going to have together, and it all felt as it should have been all along.

As they were nearing the end of their month long, self-imposed secret, Haley went into labor. Everything went smoothly as it was her third delivery and another beautiful boy was welcomed to the Scott clan.

As everyone gathered at Nathan and Haley's house to welcome Brian James Scott, the conversation turned to first Brooke and how soon she would be having her baby, which she then deflected to Peyton.

"So, P. Sawyer, are you going to be taking a test any time soon to see if all the sex you've been having has worked?" she asked non-chalantly.

Peyton and Lucas exchanged glances, Julian showed no sign of reaction on his face and Nathan and Haley just laughed.

"Oh please," Brooke continued with a playful smirk on her face "you losers didn't think you could fool us did you? The way you two look at each other could start a freakin' fire, and don't think I don't know that you've been at the house late at night when you thought Julian and I were asleep. Oh and by the way, the time you did it here in the Naley bathroom…good job Jamie and Alex weren't here." She teased, fanning herself.

Peyton and Lucas were both blushing and laughing but neither had said a word.

"Dude, you're killing us here," Haley addressed to Lucas. "Please just tell us what the hell is going on between you two."

Lucas grabbed Peyton's hand with both of his and squeezed it as he began to speak.

"Ok…here's the deal. We wanted some time without you guys down our throats about one thing or another, so we decided to keep it a secret, at least until we knew if Peyton was pregnant or not. But since you already know anyway, and we obviously can't hide our feelings for each other very well, yes, we are together, we have been together since that weekend and we will be together whether Peyton is pregnant or not."

"Thank god for that" said Nathan "I'm about tired of these girls talking about it" he joked.

"Soooo, when are you taking a test?" Brooke asked again.

Peyton stood up and reached for her purse.

"Well, more information than any of you guys wanted I know, but I am three days late, so no time like the present."

She left the room quickly leaving a room full of speechless faces, including Lucas behind her.


	9. Not With Anyone Else

Chapter 9

Not With Anyone Else

Peyton sat on the edge of the bathtub staring at the stick on the counter afraid to look at it. A gentle knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Peyt, honey, can I come in?" said Lucas softly through the door.

Peyton got up slowly, unlocked the door and went back to sit on the edge of the large spa tub.

Lucas went inside, closed the door and sat beside her.

"So?" he asked.

"It's over there. I haven't looked yet."

"Ok, so let's look at it together, but before we do, there's something I want to ask you," he said turning more to face her.

"Ok," she answered uncertainly.

"I know we haven't been together for long, but I feel like we've been building up to this our whole lives. I think maybe everyone else saw the inevitable before we were ready to admit it. I want you to know that I'm not pinning my hopes for us on what's on that stick over there. I want us to be together no matter what. So I was wondering, since Brooke and Julian are going to need an extra room very soon, and we're in love and all…if you would move in with me."

Peyton let out a long sigh of relief then turned to Lucas and slowly closed the gap between them to plant a soft kiss to his lips. She pulled back and smiled at him. Lucas was momentarily concerned as the kiss almost felt like an apology.

"Yes, Luke. I would love to move in with you. I thought for a moment you were going to ask me to marry you, and I don't think we're ready for that yet. I love you so much. I think it will be good for us to live together."

Lucas cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly rubbing their noses together as he pulled away.

"Ok, ready?" he asked reaching for the stick on the counter.

"As I'll ever be," she said smiling at him and paused for a moment "Can you believe we're here? I mean, I always kind of hoped, but it's just seems a little surreal at the moment."

_Flashback_

_The weeks and months that followed Peyton and Lucas' encounter in her office were difficult. She tried to work things out with Julian, she really did. She attended all family gatherings and her and Julian had gone out a few times with Lucas and Lindsey._

_To any stranger watching the foursome, they would appear to be a group of friends all laughing and having a good time. Those within the foursome knew there was an underlying, unspoken current running through their relationships that would always be there. Peyton felt that Julian was watching her every move trying to catch a stolen glance, or an accidental touch that wasn't so accidental, and that was the source of most of her discomfort._

_Her and Lucas had been friends all their lives. They knew each other inside and out in the most personal way possible that had absolutely nothing to do with sex or attraction. It came from spending the majority of the first eighteen years of their lives in each other's company, and regardless of anything else, that friendship continued into their adulthood._

_Finally, after a year of suspicion and forgiveness and fighting and making up, Julian and Peyton broke up. Peyton moved in with Brooke. No one was really shocked and they remained friendly. They turned out to be much better friends than lovers. Julian and Lucas were in the final stages of finishing the screenplay for the movie of his book, and casting was due to begin in the next couple of months._

_Julian had offered Peyton the job of setting the soundtrack for the movie since she lived it, and in that vein, Brooke had been offered the job of costume designer as well. _

_Lindsey was helping Lucas with his screenplay and so the five of them started spending more and more time together as a group. Although Brooke was the one who hadn't been part of that original dysfunctional foursome, it was Lindsey who began to feel like the fifth wheel. It became clear that Peyton had shared more of her past with Julian than Lucas had shared with Lindsey of his. _

_Julian was able to participate in and even instigate some of the fun teasing over past indiscretions that would naturally occur when they were all together. Lindsey tended to withdraw from the conversation and find somewhere else to be._

_Over the next few months Peyton noticed that Brooke and Julian seemed to have a little flirtation going on but could tell they were holding back because of her. One day, after watching yet another round of flirtatious banter between the two in Peyton's office that had become the makeshift headquarters for the movie, Peyton pulled Brooke off to one side and asked her bluntly if she liked Julian._

_Brooke was evasive at first but finally caved in and confessed._

"_Ok, I like him. I like him a lot, but I feel like it violates some kind of girl code to go out with him. I mean, you guys were LIVING together." Brooke explained._

"_Honey, I would be violating the best friend code if I stood in the way of you being happy. Julian and I are friends now. We're good friends, and I want to see both of you happy. He's a good guy. We just didn't work as a couple…for a number of reasons." Peyton said._

"_You mean because of Lucas," Brooke added smiling._

_Peyton squirmed uncomfortably. "Partly, yes, but that's old news. Lucas is happily married and we are friends, just like we have been all our lives. Someday my prince will come. You should go and get yours."_

"_I love you P. Sawyer," Brooke squealed and hugged Peyton tightly._

_They returned to where Julian was sitting and Brooke sat down beside him. Peyton gathered up her things and got ready to leave._

"_Julian, you break her heart, I break your face, clear?" she said as she winked at Brooke and walked out._

_Julian's eyes followed Peyton as walked out with a quizzical look on his face until Brooke pulled his head back around and kissed him. They had their first date that night._

_They were about six months into the pre-shooting prep work for the movie when the bad news came. The studio had been taken over and all projects not currently filming were indefinitely suspended. Everyone was disappointed, but quickly moved on to other projects._

_Julian decided to stay in Tree Hill and moved in with Brooke and Peyton. It wasn't as awkward as they thought it might be. In fact, Julian often joked, he felt like he had two wives who both nagged him about his bad habits._

_With the movie out of the way, Lucas was at a loss for what to do. Lindsey had been on him about writing another book, but he really didn't feel like he had anything to say. He lacked inspiration. It caused some tension between them and Lindsey began spending more time in New York. She was often only home for a week at a time before going off for three weeks or a month. While Lucas missed having his wife around, he didn't miss the tension that always seemed to be there when she was around all his friends._

_With Brooke and Julian paired off, and Nathan and Haley with their growing family, Lucas and Peyton found themselves spending a lot of time together. They would often eat meals together at his house or go for long drives in her Comet (when it was working) just to get away from the town for a while. If there was a day when they didn't see each other for some reason, they would make sure they talked to each other at least once on the phone. That was a habit that didn't stop even on the few occasions when Lucas went to visit Lindsey in New York much to her displeasure._

_Over the course of the next two years, Lindsey missed many holidays and in particular missed Lucas and Peyton's 25__th__ and 26__th__ birthdays. The sad part was, she wasn't really missed._

_Lindsey continued to stay away most of the time and Lucas and Peyton continued to spend lots of time together and soon Lucas found the urge to write again. He would take his laptop on their drives in the Comet and they would find a park or a beach where he would sit and write and Peyton would draw or listen to new music on her iPod._

_It took him best part of a year, but he finished his second book, and wouldn't let anybody read it. He took it to New York to show Lindsey and his publisher and they both loved the story of a boy who watched comets all his life until a time came when he couldn't see them anymore and he felt lost without his comets to watch. His life had meaning again when the comets returned._

_The book was so clearly a metaphorical reference to Peyton, that Lucas was almost disappointed when Lindsey didn't pick up on it, and get even a little bit mad about it. What she did do shocked Lucas very being._

"_I love your book," Lindsey said straddling his lap and starting to undo his shirt in the living room of her New York apartment. Yes, HERS, not THEIRS._

"_You do, huh?" replied Lucas, almost turned off by her sudden forwardness._

"_Mmhmm. I think it's going to be great, and I think we should celebrate." She kissed him deeply and tried to remove his shirt._

"_That sounds great, Linds," Lucas replied awkwardly removing his shirt and feeling entirely more uncomfortable than he should in this situation with his wife. "What did you have in mind?"_

"_Let's have a baby." She whispered in his ear as she kissed down his neck._

_Lucas pushed her away in shock and looked her in the eye._

"_What? I thought we agreed we would wait. I mean, you're here and I'm in Tree Hill, and there'll be another book tour. Maybe in a year or so would be better." He rambled. They had talked about it when they first got married, but they decided that, Nathan and Haley excepted, they were young and they had plenty of time. The subject had not been brought up again in the following six years. _

_The truth was, Lucas loved Lindsey, but in the back of his mind he had the deal that he had made with Peyton when they were 18. Not that he was wishing the deal with Peyton would come true, but the thought of having children with anyone else, INCLUDING his wife, had never crossed his mind._

_His pleadings to wait threw Lindsey into a rage, claiming Lucas had more loyalty to his friends in Tree Hill, and specifically Peyton, than he did to his wife. Lucas didn't disagree and the argument that followed was the beginning of the end of Lucas and Lindsey's marriage._

_End Flashback_

"I guess you were always in the background of everything I did, and I guess that's what eventually got us to here." Lucas said "But I have to tell you, I wouldn't be with anyone else, anyWHERE else. Ever since our deal, I couldn't picture my children with anything but, blonde hair, green eyes, and lots of curls." He smiled sweetly and she kissed him one more time as they looked down at the stick in Lucas' hand together.

As they came back into the living room together, they both had completely expressionless faces even though all eyes in the room were on them. They went to retake their seats on the couch and sat not saying anything for several moments.

"Ok, I'm not as 'oh my god, Lucas and Peyton are together' as the girls, but dude, you're killing me here. Put us out of our misery, puhlease!" Nathan said.

Lucas looked at Peyton and she nodded in silent agreement that he should speak for the both of them.

"Well, Peyton took the test," he started.

"Uh, we know, skip to the good part" chimed in Brooke.

Lucas laughed and continued.

"Before we looked at it, I asked Peyton a very important question."

"Oh god, you proposed!" Haley squealed.

Lucas rolled his eyes and continued again.

"No, Hales, I didn't propose, but I did ask Peyton to move in with me, and she agreed." He turned to Peyton and rubbed her leg as he smiled at her.

"Thank god for that," Julian felt the need to add. "It sucks having to have quiet sex with my wife."

Brooke smacked him and everybody laughed. There was another long pause.

"It's actually a good thing that Peyton agreed to move in with me," another very long pause.

"GET ON WITH IT!!!" they all shouted together.

"It's a good thing, 'cos it would suck not being able to take care of my girlfriend properly when we don't live together, especially because…she's pregnant!!!!"

Everyone stood up and swarmed Lucas and Peyton who had also both stood up. There were hugs and kisses and hearty slaps on the back for Lucas from the guys and crude comments about his swimmers working overtime to make this happen so quickly. But no one, could have been happier at that moment than Peyton. Her dreams were finally all coming true.


	10. A New Life

**A/N: A thousand apologies that it has been so long since my last update. I went on vacation and forgot to let you guys know that it would be a while. Anyway, I'm back now and I think there may only be one or two chapters at the most after this. Please enjoy and remember to review!!**

Chapter 10

A New Life

"Peyton, what in god's name do you think you're doing?" Lucas asked as he took in the sight before him as he walked through the front door.

Peyton was bent over a box on the floor and was pushing it down the hallway using the hardwood floor to slide it.

"Not that I would normally complain about coming home to the sight of your ass in the air waiting for me." He added with his irresistible smirk.

Peyton stood and placed her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I was just moving the last of my albums into the guest room, where you're going to build shelves for me" she said sweetly as she put her arms around his neck and pecked his lips.

"The _guest_ room? You mean my _mom's_ room? And why didn't you wait for me to do that? You shouldn't be moving heavy things like that in your condition." He chastised.

Peyton pulled away slightly annoyed.

"Ok, first of all, your mom gave you the house so it's not her room any more, so it's the guest room. Second of all, please don't start treating me like I'm going to break. The doctor said I can do everything I was doing before just not to lift anything heavy."

Lucas couldn't help but smile. The week following the discovery that Peyton was pregnant had been busy. She was saw the doctor right away and was referred to an OB/GYN, and through the rest of the week, they had slowly been moving her stuff into Lucas' house.

During Lindsey's long absences and the many times Peyton had been to the house, she had noted that it still seemed to be very much Lucas' house. There was really nothing to indicate another person lived there, let alone his wife.

She had instantly set to placing her things around the house and moved the furniture around in the living room and had let Lucas know that she wanted to redecorate _their _bedroom. According to her, it still felt like it belonged to an 18 year old boy obsessed with basketball. He retorted that the only thing that had changed was that he wasn't 18 anymore, but readily agreed that the room did need to take on a more grown up look and perhaps a little bit of femininity.

They had both been surprised at how seamless and easy the transition to not only being a couple, but a couple living together and having a baby had been. It wasn't as if Peyton even had to move much stuff since a lot of her things were already there.

Brooke joked that the only thing different about their relationship now was that they were actually having sex. They had always seemed like a married couple even when Lucas was married to someone else, and especially after his divorce.

_Flashback_

_Lucas tried to save his marriage, he really did. He spent a little more time in New York with Lindsey, but their argument over having children always sat in the back of both their minds. They let it go on a lot longer than they should have. They finally decided amicably to separate the week after Lucas and Peyton's 28__th__ birthday. Lindsey missed it yet again and Lucas had had enough of commuting between Tree Hill and New York twice a month for a hopeless cause. The divorce was uncomplicated with Lucas keeping his house and Lindsey keeping her New York apartment. One trip to Tree Hill with two empty suitcases is all it took for her to remove her possessions from the house. Lucas didn't have anything at the apartment._

_Brooke and Julian got married that same year in a truly splendid affair with many celebrities in attendance that either she had dressed in her clothing line or Julian had worked with in movies. Peyton was the maid of honor and Lucas was the best man, and when they had to dance the first dance together with the bride and groom, anyone who didn't know them would have been dumbfounded to discover they were not a couple._

_Brooke and Julian left on a two week honeymoon and Peyton didn't like being in the house on her own so she would go and stay at Lucas' or he would come and stay with her. They shared a bed and kissed each other chastely good night, but always awoke tangled up in each other in the morning._

_When Brooke and Julian returned, Peyton felt a little awkward sharing the house with them now they were married, but Brooke insisted she didn't have to move out. She slept most nights in her own bed, but didn't really like not waking up with Lucas once she had done if for two weeks straight. At least one night on weekends, usually Saturday, she would spend at Lucas' house just to give Brooke and Julian some 'alone time'._

_They fell into an easy routine. Lucas would call Peyton every morning at 8 a.m. to make sure she was awake and getting ready to go to work. She would call him at noon to make sure he was going to eat something for lunch. He would call her at 6 to find out what they were doing for dinner. On Sunday mornings when she had slept over, he would make her French Toast for breakfast which they would eat while he read the Sports section of the Sunday paper and she read the Entertainment section and the cartoons, then they would do the crossword together._

_Nathan would often ask Lucas when he was going to make his move on Peyton, and Haley and Brooke were constantly telling Peyton that she should be getting some 'benefit' from her friendship with Lucas._

_Both of them had the same clear response to all attempts to make them into a couple. They were friends, the best of friends, and there could not be any risk of losing that. It almost happened once, and they did not ever want that to happen again. They were happy with how things were. No one failed to notice that neither one was dating anyone else or even showed any interest in anyone else._

_They jointly decided that their 29__th__ birthday should be a big celebration. Lucas' second book was doing well, and the Tree Hill Ravens were looking like they might make it to the State Championship. Peyton had signed several artists and was working with a few other local bands on perfecting their sound before pulling them into the recording studio._

_In the back of both their minds was what would be hanging over them on their 30__th__ birthday, so big bash for 29 it was. The invitations went out to all their friends and acquaintances and the location of the party was listed as 'Lucas and Peyton's' and no one questioned it or even considered that it was anywhere other than Lucas' house. Peyton was always there anyway._

_The party was amazing and they had a great time seeing all their friends together. They received tons of gifts, and there was some laughter when they opened a gift addressed to both of them from their high school friend, Bevin. It was a toaster. Everyone eyed Bevin with some confusion until she explained innocently that she thought this was an engagement party. When it was explained to her that this was a birthday party and Lucas and Peyton were not a couple, she responded with 'Whatever, we all know they're going to get married eventually anyway'. The laughter that ensued was genuine from everyone although Lucas and Peyton looked at each other a little uncomfortably. Neither wanted to admit that the mention of them getting married someday had them both suppressing butterflies in their stomachs. _

_For both of them, their feelings for the other were rising dangerously close to the surface, and now it was only one more year until they would have to talk about their deal._

_End flashback_

Lucas walked up to Peyton where she was standing with her hands akimbo on her hips and placed his hands over hers.

"Babe, I promise I won't be overbearingly protective, but you are precious to me and you are carrying equally precious cargo and I don't think bending over and pushing heavy boxes of albums counts as 'doing what you've always done'." He stated simply. "Where did they come from anyway? I thought I had already put all the boxes of albums from Brooke's in the _guest _room." He emphasized the word to tease her.

"I found them in your, I mean _our _room. They were all ones that I'd brought over at one time or another to play here. It's only as we've been doing this move that I realized just how much of my stuff was already here. How did we not do this sooner?" she pulled her hands out from under his and placed them around his neck, then moved on to her tip toes to kiss him gently on the lips.

"You know, Brooke was right" she continued with a seductive tone to her voice "the only thing different _is _that we are actually having sex now, and I think we should _actually_" she moved her hands to his waist and began to lift his shirt "have sex" Lucas eyes darkened as her hands moved to his belt buckle "_now". _

Lucas pulled her hips in tight to his so she could feel what her words had done to him and kissed her passionately, his tongue assaulting her mouth in the most pleasurable way.

"Who am I to deny the mother of my child?" he said as he began to pull them towards their bedroom.

"Uh uh" Peyton responded as she pulled him the other way to the guest room. "Let's christen another room. This is the only one left that we haven't…" She already had his belt undone and was working on the button of his jeans. Lucas hesitated for a moment at the thought of having sex in his mom's old bedroom and Peyton seemed to sense his hesitation.

"It's the _guest _room, honey, and you're not going to have a chance to think about anything else." She pulled Lucas to the bed by his open jeans and sat down at the end with him standing in front of her. Soon all thoughts of what room they were in were completely forgotten.

As they lay in bed some time later, fully sated and heavy eyed, Lucas rolled on to his side and rested on his elbow and stared adoringly at Peyton as she laid on her back her eyes droopy as she was almost asleep. He slowly pulled the covers down from her chest and settled them just below her navel.

Peyton opened one eye as she raised her eyebrow at him.

"I'm guessing the guest room is working for you" she smirked as Lucas began to trace circles all over her abdomen.

"Babe, you could make any room work for me, but I actually just wanted to see our baby for a bit." He leaned over to kiss her belly tenderly as Peyton stroked her fingers through his hair.

Their tender family moment was interrupted by both their cell phones ringing at the same time. They exchanged concerned glances as they both got up to find their phones in their discarded clothes. Lucas was the first to find his as he looked at the caller ID.

"Julian, man, how's it going?"

"Luke, it's Brooke, she's calling Peyton right now" Julian rasped sounding very out of breath. "We're on our way to the hospital."

Peyton located her phone just as Lucas turned to her with a look of complete panic on his face.

"B. Davis! What's shakin' honey?"

"P! I'm in labor, and I'm scared." She cried into the phone.

Lucas had now hung up with Julian and was now hurriedly getting dressed. Peyton began grabbing clothes as she talked to Brooke.

"Brooke, honey, you're gonna be fine. Julian will have you at the hospital in no time and we'll be there as soon as we can." She hung up without even saying goodbye and began throwing her clothes on.

Lucas was already in the car with it started by the time she had her shoes on. Peyton ran out the door and into the car where she breathed out heavily.

Lucas reached over to squeeze her hand.

"Hey, everything will be ok" he reassured her.

"I hope so. She's six weeks early." Lucas could read Peyton like a book and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Peyton, she is going to be fine, their baby will be fine, and so will ours."

She smiled weakly at him and nodded silently as she let the tears fall.


	11. Angie

Chapter 11

Angie

Peyton and Lucas arrived at the hospital to find Julian pacing outside Brooke's room. Haley arrived shortly after and said Nathan would be by shortly after he had dropped the kids off with Deb.

Julian greeted them all and advised them that Brooke was being checked over by the doctor at that moment. When he emerged, they were given the go ahead to enter Brooke's room.

Julian moved directly to the bedside while the others gathered around the foot of the bed. A fetal monitor on the opposite side of the bed beeped steadily.

"The doctor said that everything seems to be ok, and they'll be back in a second to give me the epidural" offered Brooke calmly as Julian held her hand.

"What happened to make you rush over here?" asked Haley.

Brooke and Julian exchanged sheepish glances and Brooke continued.

"Well, I'd been feeling what I thought were Braxton-Hicks contractions for most of the morning and then they seemed to ease up. Without going into details of _exactly _what I was doing, let's just say my water broke and I started to feel some real contractions. They're not really close together, but with my water breaking, we knew we had to come to the hospital. The doctor said I'm barely a centimeter dilated, but once I have the epidural, they'll give me a labor inducer to speed things up a bit."

Everyone visibly relaxed knowing that everything was going to be all right. Nathan who had joined them midway through Brooke's explanation decided to put his own special contribution in and addressed Julian.

"Man, I could have given you some pointers on how to do it when she's this far along. I'm three kids in to the whole pregnant sex thing." He laughed as Haley smacked him.

Lucas squeezed Peyton's hand and chuckled as he patted Nathan on the shoulder.

"Good to know, Nate. I'll be coming to you in a few months then" he said.

"Ew, ok, I know we were all about you two getting together, but I'm still getting used to this and picturing you two doing it is so not where my head should be at right now" Brooke chimed in.

"Hey!" yelled Peyton. "Have you forgotten that it's all your damn fault, I'm in this condition in the first place?" she taunted playfully. Nathan, Haley and Julian all turned to Peyton waiting for an explanation patiently. They had not been privy to how the 'deal' had come to be sealed in the first place.

_Flashback_

_Throughout the year before their impending 30__th__ birthdays, Lucas and Peyton lived in their own fantasy world. They weren't living together, they weren't having sex, yet they often had sleepovers, and spent all their spare time together._

_Every denial of feelings, and every assurance that they were just friends was met with eye rolls from all their friends. Every mention by anyone who knew about the deal was met with a scowl, followed by an all too familiar assurance that they were just friends and the deal was a long time ago. Brooke never accepted this and took every opportunity to remind them of it._

_At Thanksgiving Haley announced that she was pregnant with her third child, and the news was met with great enthusiasm. It had been a while since a baby had been in the group and Nathan and Haley were the only ones who seemed to be contributing to the next generation._

_At Christmas, Alexandra was given an Etch-A-Sketch by Peyton. The nine year old had shown an interest in drawing and Peyton had given her a full set of art pencils for sketching and the Etch-A-Sketch just for fun because she'd had one as a child as well. They all took turns drawing goofy things or trying to write messages on it._

_Finally, Lucas and Peyton's 30__th__ birthday came around and they decided to celebrate with just their 'family', Nathan, Haley, Jamie, Alexandra, Brook and Julian. They all met at Nathan and Haley's house where they had a dinner and all relaxed in the spacious living room opening presents._

_At exactly 7:02 p.m., Lucas announced that Peyton was an old woman as she was officially 30 years old. She told him to wait an hour and he'd catch up._

_Brooke spent much of the evening sitting by herself playing with Alexandra's Etch-A-Sketch until Peyton finally went over to find out what she was doing. Brooke hid her work carefully and told Peyton she had one more present for her._

_Peyton opened the small package and held up what was inside. Everyone's eyes were on the object and no one was sure whether to laugh or not. Lucas had a look of sheer horror on his face._

"_Brooke! Seriously? Why would you get ME a baby's onesie?" she yelled._

_Brooke smiled coyly and handed Peyton the Etch-A-Sketch she had been working so diligently on. Peyton read the words on it._

BROOKE AND JULIAN ARE HAVING A BABY. YOUR TURN.

_Lucas rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly then decided to focus on the first part of the message rather than the last and went to shake Julian's hand. He went to give Brooke a hug and whispered in her ear._

"_Nice try, pretty girl" he smirked as he walked away to let the others give congratulations._

_Peyton hugged Brooke and Julian, but was in somewhat of a stunned silence for the rest of the night. The silence continued as they drove back to Lucas' after the party. Peyton had decided she didn't want to go with Brooke and Julian that night._

"_Do you want to talk about it?" he asked._

"_No, but it's like this huge elephant in the room that's never going to go away, so I guess we should" she said quietly as she played with her hands._

"_Peyton, I'm not going to hold you to some stupid deal we made in high school, but if it's what you want, I'll do it" he said earnestly._

_The rest of the short drive to Lucas' was uncomfortably silent, but once there, they fell into a routine that was all too familiar and very comfortable. Lucas stopped the car and handed the keys to Peyton. Her door was closest to the house so she was always there first to unlock the door._

_Once inside, the keys were thrown on the table in the hall. Peyton went into the bedroom while Lucas headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he came out, Peyton went in to change into her pajamas that she had taken out of 'her' drawer in his dresser and to wash her face. By the time she came back, he was in bed, and just like every Saturday night, she crawled in next to him._

_She lay down close to him on her side and he instinctively moved his arm so she could rest her head on his chest. His hand fell comfortably on her shoulder as they lay in silence._

"_I'm just scared" she said suddenly. "You mean so much to me as my friend and the last time we had sex, things got really messy. I can't afford to lose you again to something so stupid, and the stakes would be so much higher this time. I mean we're talking about creating a life together, and what if…" Lucas stopped her mid-stream by pressing a finger of his free hand to her lips._

"_We can 'what if' ourselves to death, Peyt. I told you. If you want to, I want to, but just because it's our 30__th__ birthday, doesn't mean we have to decide tonight, or next week, or even next month, or ever. Let's sit with it for a bit, ok?" She looked up at him from her place on his chest and he leaned down to give her a chaste kiss on the lips and settled to sleep._

_Over the next three months, Peyton thought often about what it would be like to have a child. It was impossible not to with her two best girl friends expecting at the same time, and now Mia, her first artist had just announced she was pregnant. She felt a little bit like Ally McBeal being haunted by a dancing baby and her biological clock was beginning to clang like Big Ben in her ear._

_She and Lucas had not talked further about it, and now she almost felt uncomfortable bringing it up. What if he'd forgotten, or didn't want to do it any more? Why couldn't she just be a normal person and find a boyfriend, fall in love, get married, and have children? That answer was fairly obvious. When did she have time to have a boyfriend?_

_She was always with Lucas and a boyfriend probably wouldn't appreciate the Saturday night sleepover tradition. A tradition that was becoming Saturdays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and sometimes Fridays as well. In fact, there was one whole week when she didn't go home at all. Lucas didn't seem to mind and she was finding it difficult being around pregnant Brooke. It made her want a baby even more, and the vicious cycle of doubt and longing would begin again._

_Lucas was in his own private heaven and hell. He had a beautiful woman who he cared very deeply for sleeping next to him nearly every night. The down side to that was he had a beautiful woman _sleeping _next to him nearly every night and he was actually getting used to the cold showers he was having nearly every morning._

_He fully realized that his body's reaction to Peyton sleeping next to him had a great deal to do with it being Peyton rather than just any woman. Truthfully, he couldn't remember the last time he looked at another woman with attraction. It was probably Lindsey, and that was years ago. He was also beginning to realize that he had never spoken more truth than when he had told Peyton at the tender age of 18, that he wanted a family, and he wanted it with her. Now it was up to her to tell him she wanted that too. Until then, he'd wait, and he honestly thought he'd wait forever if he had to._

_Peyton was out shopping one Tuesday afternoon with Brooke. They had gone looking for fashionable maternity clothes. Brooke decided that there wasn't anything nearly as fashionable as what she could make for herself as she already had been doing, and she babbled excitedly about the B. Davis Maternity Collection. Peyton just let her go on, until Brooke stopped as if she'd had an epiphany._

"_Ok, P. Sawyer, you can sooo be my model and spokesperson" she beamed._

"_Er, Brooke, I see a problem. I'm not pregnant" Peyton stated obviously, indicating her flat stomach._

"_Pssh" said Brooke waving her hand dismissively. "By the time I have everything together and ready to promote, you will be."_

"_What? Brooke, we've been through this. I can't go through with it. It will ruin what we have. The other option is for me to get IVF. That way Lucas could be the father and we wouldn't have to actually…" Peyton reasoned._

"_Oh, please. That is such a cop out, and so not the fun way to do it, and what would it ruin? Ruin the Sunday morning breakfasts you guys have reading the paper to each other? Or maybe it would ruin the evenings you spend curled up on the couch together watching old movies or reading books written a trillion centuries ago. But worst, it would totally ruin those nights you fall asleep totally tangled up in each other." Brooke looked at Peyton knowingly and watched as the ball finally dropped for her._

_Peyton let out a heavy sigh letting it sink in what Brooke had said and finally spoke._

"_I knew I would live to regret telling you all that stuff" she sighed again "Ok, ok. You're right. It's not like there's anyone else, and I'm not sure I want anyone else. There's just one problem.__"_

_Brooke squealed with excitement and clapped her hands together rapidly._

"_Ok, P. Sawyer, now we need to shop for you…wait. What problem?" she asked finally registering the last thing Peyton said._

"_Lucas and I haven't talked about this since our birthday. It might be a little awkward" she responded shyly._

"_You leave Lucas and your date to me. Now let's go. There has to be some lingerie with your name on it, and I've got a dress to make." Brooke grabbed Peyton's hand and dragged her rather forcefully to the closest Victoria's Secret._

_Once she'd finished with Peyton, Brooke called Lucas and explained everything and told him that Friday night would be the night and they should have a nice fancy dinner. She told him she was making dress for Peyton and suggested he dust off his Armani. This was a special occasion._

"_You mean a date" Lucas said when Brooke had finished explaining._

"_No, not a date and don't you dare call it that or Peyton will bolt. She is so freaked out by this whole thing, if you start calling it a date, she might just change her mind, and you and I both know, that you REALLY don't want that" she winked at him and he blushed._

_"I've actually been thinking about this for a while and I'd like to make it the whole weekend, but I'll need you to pack a bag for Peyton, and don't tell her about anything but the dinner." Brooke could see that Lucas was excited by this new turn of events and readily agreed not to tell Peyton about the extra part of the plan. Lucas also swore her to secrecy from telling any of the others about any of it. The fewer people that knew the better._

_At dinner that night, Lucas and Peyton talked about everything but what was going to happen on Friday, but there was a shyness and flirtation in their conversation that had been absent or unnoticed in the past. Peyton was going to stay that night, but they decided that they wouldn't see each other again that week until Lucas picked her up from Brooke's on Friday evening._

_"I'll be the one in the little black dress" she said flirtily as she kissed him on the cheek goodnight and walked to her car._

"Excuse me, Mrs. Davis-Baker" a nurse interrupted as Peyton and Lucas finished their story "the anaesthesiologist is ready now."

"And that's how I made it happen" Brooke finished for them as she panted through a contraction. "Now get the hell out of here. I want my epidural!" they were all laughing as they left with Julian staying behind to hold his wife's hand.

Eighteen hours later, after everyone had come and gone and come back several times, Angelica Davis Baker was welcomed into the world. She was small as preemies generally are, but she was beautiful and healthy, and she was their Angie.


End file.
